


Someone To Watch Over Me

by Dolimir



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolimir/pseuds/Dolimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the government had stepped in and collected people affected by the meteors when Clark was still a toddler?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someone To Watch Over Me

  
**BOOK ONE**   


Lex hated the chrome and glass fixtures in his father’s office. They were soulless and somehow managed to suck all the warmth from the room, despite the spectacular sunset just outside the glass walls. In many ways the room reminded Lex of his father, especially since Julian passed away. He struggled not to squirm in the Italian leather chairs, but suspected he was failing miserably.

“I don’t understand, father.”

Lionel sighed dramatically as he looked up from the stack of papers he was signing. “There’s nothing for you to understand, Lex. When the meteors fell on Smallville, they somehow biologically altered everyone in their vicinity. The government simply wants to study those who were affected.”

“But the meteors fell over three years ago. Why the sudden interest now?”

“Apparently a number of affected children have gone insane as they entered puberty. There have been a myriad of unexplained events in Smallville and several rather gruesome deaths. The government believes the meteors may be the catalyst to the mayhem. They have assigned some of the top scientific minds in the country to do a more in-depth study of the remaining survivors to see if they can prevent anymore deaths. Considering that you’re about to become a teen, it would be prudent to make sure that you go through the process in a safe environment. ”

“Are you saying that I’m going to go m-mad?” Lex’s voice dropped to a whisper.

Lionel shrugged indifferently and went back to signing his papers. “The possibility exists, although the term when applied to the rich would be ‘eccentric.’ Luthors would never do anything as crass as going mad.”

A heavy weight wrapped around Lex’s heart, making him nauseous, as he watched his father scribble his signature on several pieces of paper. He casually eyed the distance between himself and the office door. “Are you coming with me?”

“No.”

“Why not? You were also in the vicinity when the meteors fell.”

Lionel’s hand stilled. He slowly raised his head and pinned Lex with a stare that was almost as cold as the night Julian died. “You’re mistaken, son. You had wandered fairly deep into the cornfield. The impact crater wasn’t anywhere near where I was.”

Lex gasped at the ease with which his father told his lie. “That’s not true and you know it.”

The smile Lionel graced him was predatory. “Prove it.”

Jumping to his feet, Lex slapped his hands on to his father’s glass desk, knowing how much Lionel hated fingerprints. “So? What? You’re offering me up as a sacrifice to save yourself or are you just after my inheritance?”

Lionel made a big show of looking distressed, although his eyes danced with mirth. “Lex. Son. Lashing out in anger won’t help the situation. If there was something I could prevent the inevitable, I would; but my hands are tied.”

“Bullshit!” Lex yelled. “You’re one of the richest men in the country. You brag all the time about how many congressmen you have in your hip pocked. If you wanted to keep me here, you could.”

“Ah, such an interesting word ‘if’.”

The breath left Lex’s lungs with an audible gasp. Without another thought, he turned and ran for the double doors, but they opened before he reached them. His mind reeled as he realized his father had pushed the security button – against him, against his own son. Two of his father’s largest security men stepped into the office as one. Spinning, Lex raced for his father’s emergency elevator.

Lionel pushed himself to his feet and pointed his finger at Lex. There was no mistaking his silent command. “Lex, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

Pushing the elevator button frantically several time, Lex looked over his shoulder at the fast approaching guards. “Harder for whom, father?”

The doors opened and Lex leapt into the lift and pushed the ground floor button, but four hands appeared between the rapidly closing doors. Lex pressed himself into the corner of the elevator and slid to the floor as the first guard entered, knowing there wouldn’t be any escape.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

While there were nearly a hundred people in the room, only a few faces, pale with apprehension, turned in Lex’s direction as he was escorted into the enormous stark-white common room. The stench of fear hung so thickly in the air that he nearly gagged. Only his breeding kept him from doing anything so plebian.

What surprised him was the diversity of his fellow inmates. Some were obviously toddlers, while others were quite elderly. Every social strata and economic class seemed to be represented in the group. He reasoned they had been gathered simply because they had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and hadn’t been able to bribe or lie their way to freedom like his father had. Lives changed forever by a sudden and violent twist of fate.

They huddled together in small clusters, with each group studiously ignoring the others. Lex had learned enough about socialization from his father to know that his late arrival meant he was going to have to start at the bottom of the pack and work his way to the top, although he suspected his age and lack of funds were going to be a major hurdle to overcome.

A gentle tug on the back of his shirt made him turn, and he found a small, dark headed boy, wearing an oversized blue plaid shirt and seemingly tiny blue jeans smiling at him. If Lex had to guess, he would say the boy was no older than five or six years old.

Lex surveyed the various clusters, but no adult was watching their interaction like a concerned parent probably would do. In fact, everyone seemed to be ignoring them. Knowing he needed every ally he could make, Lex squatted so that he was at the boy’s eye level.

“Hello there.”

The boy’s grin brightened, but he remained silent.

“What’s your name?”

Instead of answering, the boy reached forward and cupped Lex’s right check. The touch sparked something deep within Lex and he laid his hand over the boy’s and leaned slightly into the boy’s hand. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched him, let alone so gently.

“My name’s Alexander,” he said in a quiet voice. When the boy didn’t respond, Lex took the boy’s hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s sort of a mouthful, isn’t it? You can call me Lex if you’d like.” When the boy still didn’t respond, Lex wondered if the child might be mute. He reached forward and tickled the boy’s stomach, which made both of them grin. “Can you say Lex?”

Seemingly unconcerned with Lex’s question, the boy took Lex’s hand and pulled him toward a stuffed chair by the window. Lex was temporarily thrown off-balanced by the boy’s amazingly strong grip, but managed to keep from falling on top of the child.

When they reached the institutional-gray chair, the boy pointed for him to sit down, and Lex obeyed. He tried to take a moment to study the people around him, but whenever he met someone’s eyes they averted their gaze, as if ashamed. Before he could ponder their peculiar reactions, he found himself with a lapful of little boy.

“Whoa, munchkin.” He helped settle the boy, but before he could say anything else, he found a children’s book pressed into his hands.

“You know, you’re rather bossy for someone so quiet.”

The boy grinned even brighter at him and pointed at the book, his green eyes pleading with Lex to read to him.

“Oh, alright. It’s not like I have anything better to do.”

An hour later, a bell reverberated throughout the room. Lex watched as everyone stood and slowly shuffled toward the door on the far wall. The defeat in their postures made Lex want to scream. Why weren’t they fighting? Why didn’t they care about what was happening to them? He refused to become a mindless drone. He decided that he’d rather go down fighting than become an automaton.

But before he could move, a gentle hand touched his face. “No, Lex. Stay with Clark.”

Lex looked into the small face and watched a palatable fear grow in Clark’s green eyes. Although it went against his awakening survival instincts, Lex decided that his stand against the system could wait just a little longer. His watchers were probably expecting him to run, and he realized that once he was caught he’d probably end up someplace infinitely worse, someplace where their sole purpose would be to break him – and just like the others had discovered, no one would be coming to their rescue.

“Okay.” He wasn’t sure whether he was trying to comfort himself or Clark with his whispered word.

Clark wiggled off his lap, then took his hand and led him to an equally stark cafeteria. Lex took a tray and accepted plates for both he and his tiny companion. Clark skipped to a table and waited patiently for Lex, although the closer Lex got the more Clark danced in anticipation.

Lex set the tray on the table and helped Clark into his seat. He then set a plate full of food, a glass of milk and silverware in front of Clark. After he took his own seat, he picked up his fork, but Clark cocked his head at him.

“What?”

Clark closed his eyes and folded his hands together.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

Clark opened one eye, then shook his head.

Lex sighed heavily as he desperately tried to remember one of the prayers his mother used to give, but he kept coming up blank. Finally, he settled on: “Lord, please bless this food and help us to get the hell out of here.”

“Amen!” Clark said loudly.

Lex could feel a smirk blossom over his face. “Amen,” he agreed. He then looked at his milk and at the people around him masticating like drugged cows. “I hope the milk’s okay.”

Clark nodded, but his smile waned as he looked at the mash potatoes. “Bad sleep potatoes.”

Withdrawing his fork from his mash potatoes, Lex used his napkin to clean the utensil. He had watched enough television to know that food and drinks could be drugged. It made sense that his captors would find some sneaky way to keep people sedated. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he ate only what Clark ate; although he had a feeling that the boy not eating his peas had more to do with Clark being a toddler than it did with them being drugged.

When dinner was over, a rather imposing guard came to their table and informed him that he was to return to his room for the rest of the evening.

“May I take Clark to his room first?”

The guard sighed with exasperation. “Clark sleeps where he wants.”

Clark got down from his chair and took Lex’s hand, looking at him expectantly, which answered Lex’s next question.

As Lex walked toward the hallway, he looked down at Clark. “So what makes you so special, munchkin?”

Clark giggled. “Vroom. Vroom.”

“Vroom?”

The boy let go of Lex’s hand, but before Lex could question his action, Clark was on the other end of the hallway. He waved at Lex, then zipped back, once again taking Lex’s hand in his.

“Well, I must say, I’m rather impressed with your vroom, Clark.” Lex grinned down at the giggling boy. “It also answers my question as to why you’re here.”

When they entered the room, Lex opened his mouth to speak, but Clark shook his head and pointed to the camera hanging from the ceiling in the far corner of the room.

Lex plopped himself onto the bed then picked Clark up and sat him on the mattress beside him. “I can’t stay here, Clark,” he whispered.

Clark nodded solemnly. “Clark go with Lex.”

“Clark--”

“Clark show Lex hole in fence.”

Lex bit his lip to keep his gasp from escaping. “You know the way out?”

Clark nodded happily.

“Then why haven’t you tried to escape before now?”

“I don’t know where mommy is.” Clark studied Lex’s face very seriously for several moments as if trying to decide whether or not to share his secret. Finally, he nodded to himself and knelt beside Lex. He leaned and cupped Lex’s ear then whispered into it. “7855556389.”

Lex jolted back, but Clark continued to grin at him. It was obvious that the boy didn’t realize what he’d just told him. To Clark, they were probably nothing more than random numbers, but Lex knew if they somehow managed to escape their prison that there might be someone on the outside willing to help them.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Soft whimpers echoed through his dreams and slowly drew him into consciousness. His eyes ached from lack of sleep and when he rolled his head to the side he wondered if he was still dreaming. He blinked, trying to comprehend why it would take three men to hold Clark to the floor. Clark! A large guard was holding a green, glowing rock over Clark’s supine form; a second had the writhing child’s chest and legs pinned to the tile floor, while a doctor was withdrawing a vial of blood.

Instantly awake, Lex scrambled to disentangle himself from his sheets. “What are you doing to him?”

The guard with the rock raised a warning hand. “Shut up and stay where you are, Luthor.”

“You’re hurting him.” When the men continued to ignore him, Lex launched himself toward the guard who was restraining Clark, but the other guard intercepted him. Lex struggled against the beefy man, but wasn’t any match for the grown up’s strength. The guard shoved Lex toward his bed, making him bang his shins against the metal frame.

“Stay back,” the guard bellowed.

Lex ignored him and launched himself again at the other guard. For a second time, he was caught, but this time the guard slapped him hard enough to knock him to the floor.

“Easy. Easy,” the doctor crooned. “There.” The doctor pulled the needle from Clark’s arm. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

Lex’s cheek burned as he pushed himself off the floor. “You bastards,” he shouted. “Why does it take three men to hold down a baby?”

The doctor ignored him and nodded to both guards. “Okay, gentlemen, let’s let the boys get back to sleep.”

Without another word, all three men disappeared from the room. The guard with the stone turned off the lights as he left.

As soon as they were gone, Lex scrambled next to Clark, who was curled into a fetal position, sobbing. “Hey, munchkin.” Even though he was afraid to touch Clark, afraid of causing the boy more pain, Lex gently rubbed the boy’s back.

“Lex.” Clark’s tearstained face turned toward Lex and he raised his arms, pleadingly.

“I got you, Clark. I got you.” As gently as he could, Lex gathered the boy into his arms and held him tight, rocking him and whispering nonsensical, but soothing, words. Once Clark’s sobs had subsided, Lex carried him back to his bed and laid the boy on the mattress, near the wall. He then scooted behind him and pulled the blanket over both of them, holding Clark in his arms as the little boy shivered in pain and confusion.

A fierce protectiveness washed through Lex.

The men had hurt Clark because they could, because there was no one to stop them, because nobody knew what was happening inside the facility’s sterile walls or cared if they did know. Anger, like he never knew before, burned within Lex as he realized no one was going to rescue them. If they were going to escape their hellhole, they were on their own. But one thing Lex knew for certain, he wasn’t going to leave the boy to the doctor’s mercies. They could just find another guinea pig. From this moment forward, Clark belonged to Lex and if there was one thing his father had taught him was that no one ever took anything away from a Luthor without a hell of a fight.

“Shh. I got you Clark. I got you. No one else is ever going to hurt you again. I swear it. I swear it.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Morning was a long time in coming for Lex. He held Clark as the child snuffled brokenly against his shirt and eventually dozed off, occasionally hiccupping in his sleep.

Lex knew it was only a matter of time before the guards came for him as well. He knew enough about science to realize that the doctors would need a baseline in order to compare their future observations, which meant being poked and prodded and violated against his will. Anger once again rose within him. He had suffered through enough of such treatment in the hospital after the meteor shower and he had no intention of allowing either Clark or himself to go through such procedures again.

As the sun rose, green eyes slowly blinked open and sought Lex’s face. Clark smiled brightly when he realized that Lex was still with him. He snuggled closer to Lex’s chest and Lex was surprised how much the silent gesture of trust touched him.

He bent his head slightly so his lips hovered was over Clark’s ear. “We have to get out of here this morning, Clark, before breakfast. Are you ready to find your mom?”

Clark nodded his head vigorously.

“All right, sleepyhead,” he said in a louder voice. “Time to get up.” He ran his fingers over Clark’s ribs and was delighted when the boy playfully squirmed and giggled.

They got out of bed and moved through their morning ablutions. Lex watched with some amusement as Clark tied his shoes with a concentration that belied his young age. When the boy was done, he looked up at Lex expectantly. Lex ruffled his hair and nodded proudly at him.

Taking Clark’s hand in his, Lex stepped into the hallway and joined the other patients as they shuffled toward the promise of breakfast. However, before they reached the cafeteria, Clark pulled him into a tiny alcove. While the other patients shuffled past them, no one seemed to take notice of them. They waited until the stream of patients trickled to a stop, then Lex peeked around the corner to make sure no one was looking for them. He nodded at Clark, who jiggled the doorknob just so until they both heard an audible click. Clark barely opened the basement door and slipped through. Lex took a deep breath and squeezed through after him, only to find himself in a dark stairwell.

They descended into the dank storage room filled with mattresses and broken furniture. Clark worked his way to a small window, the only source of natural light in the room. Lex groaned inwardly as he took in the small window. It couldn’t be more than a yard wide and eighteen inches high. To make matters worse, it pulled inward and opened toward the ceiling.

They stacked two flimsy metal dressers on top of each other in order to reach the window. Lex ran his fingers between the window and the sill, but couldn’t tell if there was a device that would trip an alarm or not. He leaned his head against the window. If they got caught, things would go very badly for them.

Lex looked down at Clark, who nodded at him encouragingly. Considering that the boy had been here before, Lex decided to chance discovery and slowly opened the window. Knowing that time was of the essence, he pulled Clark into his arms and lifted him as high as he could over the pull out window. Clark slipped through with no problem, then knelt beside the window and waved his hands at Lex to hurry.

Lex huffed in amusement, then tried to figure the best way to slip through the opening without alerting everyone to their presence. He knew he could fit through the opening, but the angle the window pulled out from the wall made it almost impossible not to put some of his weight against the pane. By the time he finally managed to squirm through the window, he was exhausted. But despite the sweat that was nearly blinding him, he took great care to shut the window behind them. No sense in making it easy for the trackers to find them.

Once the window was closed, he collapsed onto the gravel and tried to catch his breath. Clark knelt beside him and petted his chest encouragingly.

Lex took a moment to study their surroundings. They were in a small dead space on the west side of the building. A fence surrounded them, but Lex immediately spotted an opening. It wasn’t so much a hole as a gap between two fence posts, which had shifted over time because of the weather. Like the window, an adult would never fit through it. For the first time in his life Lex was glad he was small for his age. Pushing himself to his feet, he motioned Clark ahead of him.

As they squeezed through the opening, Lex swore they would never be caged again.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

In retrospect, getting off the facility grounds was the easiest part of their escape. As they wandered through the surrounding woods, Lex realized he had no idea where they were, let alone what state. To complicate matters, he knew they couldn’t trust any of the adults in the area. The facility was a large one, and his father had taught him that large businesses employed a lot of smaller companies and people. Bottom line, everyone in the area would have a vested interest in returning them to their prison.

The one thing in their favour was that it was late spring. Lex was grateful they didn’t have to contend with snow. Not only would snow make it hard to keep Clark warm, but they would end up leaving a trail that a blind man could follow. While it was warm for the moment, Lex knew if it rained they’d be miserable.

Lex also knew they needed to find a phone so they could contact Clark’s parents, but calls, even from public phones, could be accessed and traced. No, getting off the grounds was easy compared to what they were facing now. Lex couldn’t decide if watching all the conspiracy movies with the chauffer and chef for the last two years had been a good thing or not.

“How do you feel about walking, Clark?”

The boy grinned happily at him.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

Clark giggled and shook his head.

“But you listen, don’t you?”

Clark nodded, his eyes earnest.

“We’re going to walk a long, long way and it’s very important that no one sees us. Okay? If we see or hear anyone, we need to hide. Do you understand?”

The smile faded a bit, but Clark nodded.

They walked for hours. Lex knew he could ignore his growling stomach for a little longer but worried about how the lack of food would affect Clark. The thought had no more been completed when Lex heard the sound of gravel crunching, like a car driving over an unpaved road. He bent slightly and motioned Clark to follow him as he moved toward a row of bushes.

Once they were safely ensconced behind the shrubbery, they discovered they were outside a small rural grocery store. The building looked to be over a hundred years old, yet Lex didn’t believe he had ever seen anything so beautiful in his life. Clark bounced excitedly, apparently understanding what the store represented.

“Hungry, Lex.”

“I know, Clark, but we don’t have any money.”

“No money?”

“No money.”

Lex turned toward Clark and nibbled his lower lip as he thought for a moment. “How would Clark like to vroom vroom for food?”

Clark put his hands on his hips and frowned. “Stealing’s bad, Lex.”

“I know. But if we don’t eat, we’ll get weak. And if we get weak, we can’t run from the bad doctors who used the green rocks to hurt you.”

Clark’s conviction wavered a bit. “Mommy says stealing is wrong.” The boy’s voice took on a bit of a whine as he fidgeted in front of Lex.

“I think given the circumstances she’ll understand.”

Clark shook his head. “She’ll frown and cross her arms and say ‘Clark Jerome Kent’.”

Lex couldn’t help but smile. Clark’s concept of awful was pretty mild given their circumstances.

Despite Lex’s amusement, Clark grew even more distressed. “And when I see mommy, I want her to hug me, not frown.”

Lex considered their predicament for a moment. He took Clark’s hand in his and gave the boy an encouraging smile. “How about we tell her I stole the food? That way she can frown at me and hug you?”

Clark thought for a moment and nodded. “Okay.”

With the way Clark smiled so suddenly, Lex couldn’t help but think he’d just been set up by a toddler.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Mrs. Kent?”

“Yes,” the voice answered cautiously. “Who is this?”

“Who I am isn’t important, Mrs. Kent. Your answer to my next question, however, is very important.” Lex took the woman’s silence as consent to continue. “What did you do when the government came to take your son away? Did you even try to protect him?”

There was a gasp on the other end of the line. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and quavering. “Clark and I had been grocery shopping. We were getting the sacks out of the back of the truck when men dressed in black came out of nowhere. When I realized what was happening I told Clark to run, but he wouldn’t leave me. My baby would leave me.”

In his lifetime, Lex had seen his share of women trying to gain his father’s attention or sympathy through the use of theatrical hysterics, but nothing had ever moved him as much as the quiet devastation in Clark’s mother’s voice. “Please. Do you have any information about my son? Please, I’ll do anything. Anything.”

Lex squatted beside the payphone and wrapped his arm around Clark’s waist. The little boy grinned at him, his eyes shining with trust. Lex pressed the receiver into Clark’s hands. “Say hello to your mother, Clark.”

Clark lifted the phone to his ear. “Mommy? Mommy, where are you? Mommy, don’t cry. I’m okay. Lex and I as-kaped. I don’t know. When are you going to come get me? I don’t know. I don’t know.” Clark looked distressed as he handed the phone back to Lex. “Mommy wants to know where we are.”

Lex accepted the phone and stood up, keeping his hand on Clark’s head as the boy leaned against him for comfort.

“Mrs. Kent?”

“Are you safe?” Clark’s mom asked before he could say anything more.

“For the moment.”

“You realize you can’t trust anyone.”

Lex resisted the temptation to point out that they were trusting her. “I know.”

“Are you boys getting enough food?”

Lex hesitated a moment.

“You’re name is Lex, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you helped my son escape,” she said, more than asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Where are your parents, Lex?”

“My mother’s dead and my father willingly handed me over to the government.”

Mrs. Kent gasped again. “I’m so sorry, Lex.”

“Not your fault.”

“No, but now I understand why you started the conversation like you did. You need to know that I didn’t hand my son over and that I’ll do anything to get him back.”

Tears burned in the corners of Lex’s eyes as he heard the fierce devotions in her voice. “I believe you, ma’am,” he whispered.

“Where are you boys?”

“I don’t know. I’m not even sure what state we’re in.”

“Are you at a pay phone, Lex?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Martha.”

“Pardon me?”

“My name. It’s Martha. You know, instead of ma’am.”

Lex grinned despite their situation. “Okay. Martha it is.”

“Good. Now I want you to look at the phone and see if there’s anything on it that indicates an area code.”

Lex tucked the receiver between his ear and shoulder and ran his fingers over the metal face of the phone. “719.”

“Hold on.” Lex could hear a cabinet open and pages being rapidly turned.

“719,” she muttered under her breath. “Got it. You’re in Colorado.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Mrs. Kent – Martha, Lex corrected himself – told him that it would take approximately four hours for her to reach Colorado. She had no idea how long it would take to locate them once she crossed the border, but told Lex that they should focus on one thing at a time. Right now, they were free. Everything else could be figured out as they went. She fretted about them staying in one place for too long, and Lex assured her that they’d continue their trek east as soon as he hung up with her. She also worried about their being outside and exposed to the elements and made Lex promise that he’d try to find some sort of shelter before evening.

Once the conversation had ended, Lex rested his forehead against the cradled receiver and released a sigh of relief that he hadn’t even been aware he had been suppressing.

“Mommy’s coming?”

When Lex nodded, Clark beamed happily at him, took his hand and pulled him toward the forest, as if realizing that the natural canopy was their best protection. Once he was sure they couldn’t be seen from the road, Clark stopped. “You won’t forget, will you?”

Lex couldn’t stop the grin from forming on his face. Sometimes Clark really did have a one-track mind. “I won’t forget. It was my idea, after all.”

Clark nodded once in satisfaction.

“But Clark, unless she asks, maybe we shouldn’t raise the subject,” Lex suggested.

The boy frowned for a moment as he pondered the request, then widened his eyes in understanding. “You want a hug, too?”

“No. I just prefer not to be scolded.”

“Oh.” Clark’s mouth formed a perfect circle. “Okay, but no lying if she asks.”

Lex deemed it prudent not to mention the fact that they’d both be lying if they told Martha he was the one who had stolen the food. But apparently, as far as five year olds were concerned, ethics didn’t stand a chance in the face of no hugs. “Let’s go, munchkin.”

They walked for several hours and Lex was amazed by Clark’s stamina. How long could one child skip anyway? He kept expecting the boy to tire, but instead Clark seemed to have more energy than he did. Lex was also surprised to learn that Clark was a little chatterbox once he finally let down his guard. He asked about everything they came across and for once Lex appreciated his expensive education.

As the sun was beginning to set, they came upon a busy four-lane highway. From the safety of the forest, Lex was contemplating the best way to cross it, when a large convoy of black cars sped by them.

Clark fell silent and pressed himself as tightly as he could against the side of Lex’s body. “Lex,” Clark whimpered, looking for reassurance.

He squatted beside the trembling boy and pulled Clark into his arms. “We’re okay. They can’t see us up here.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.” When the boy didn’t stop shaking, Lex hugged him tighter. “I meant what I said, Clark. I will never again let them hurt you.” He felt, more than saw, Clark nod his head, as he never took his eyes off the cars as they disappeared around a bend in the distance.

For a brief moment Lex was overwhelmed by despair. There were so many of them, and there were, no doubt, units being deployed all over the state. How were they supposed to evade capture? Had Martha betrayed them, even unwittingly?

No, he couldn’t – he wouldn’t – give credence to that particular fear. He needed to trust his instincts and right now they were screaming at him that Clark’s mother was their only chance. While he had faith in Martha to find them, he had no idea how the three of them were going to outwit the government and his father.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Once they crossed the highway and worked their way deeper into the quickly darkening forest, Clark finally began to show the first signs of fatigue. Lex worried about how much longer Clark would be able to keep pace, as they hadn’t found a safe place to rest for the evening.

His father had often accused him of being paranoid, but at the moment, Lex didn’t believe there was such thing as being too wary. He’d watched enough television to know that their pursuers were probably trying to find people who knew all the abandoned houses in the area. For that reason, he refused to approach any building that had a road access, no matter how overgrown.

Just as he was wondering what their chances of finding a cave or a large tree were, they stumbled upon the scraggliest looking cabin he had ever seen, but to Lex it was more beautiful than the Hilton. He guided Clark into the tiny decrepitated log house and almost wept in relief when he found not only a roof and four semi-solid walls but also a small cot and chest inside.

Thick dust covered everything, giving Lex the impression that it had been abandoned for at least a decade. Lex pointed to the cot and Clark obediently climbed onto it. Kneeling in front of the wooden box, Lex didn’t expect to find anything useful but was surprised to find a blanket, a pillow and several pouches of freeze dried beef.

Food.

Food they didn’t have to steal.

Okay, it was still stealing, but Lex was too tired to hash out the moral implications.

“Head’s up, munchkin.” He tossed the pillow and blanket toward Clark, then gathered the pouches and carried them to the bed.

“What’s those?”

“You mean, what are these?”

“Yeah. What’s these?”

Lex sighed, but decided to let the grammar lesson slide. “Food, I think.”

He ripped opened a package and handed Clark a piece of jerky. The boy wrinkled his nose in disgust, but took a tiny bite of the dried beef. A grin spread over his tired face as he chewed and he took a bigger bite, then nodded at Lex to do the same.

Lex wasn’t sure he believed in God, but after finding the cabin he decided he definitely believed in miracles.

When they had had eaten their fill, Lex helped Clark remove his shoes and got him situated on the cot. Once his own shoes were off, he pulled the blanket around both of them. Clark immediately scooted closer and nestled in the crook of Lex’s arm.

Instead of chattering like Lex expected, Clark immediately dozed off; his gentle breaths having an unexpectedly calming effect Lex.

Martha had instructed him to call her in the morning. She said the number Clark had memorized was for a cell phone she used for emergencies. She claimed it was untraceable and that she’d find them as long as they could call her from a safe place.

As he was beginning to drift off to sleep himself, Lex wondered if it was okay to hug someone else’s mother.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Clark? Lex? Are you here? I’m sorry I’m late, but I had a flat tire. Please, boys, if you’re here, let me see you?”

The beseeching anguish in the woman’s voice almost shattered all of Lex’s resolve. Pressing his nails into his palm, he forced himself to go through with the plan he had devised as they waited for Clark’s mother to find them. He had to be sure.

“Please stay where you are, Mrs. Kent.”

The pale woman stopped in her tracks and pushed a lock of red hair behind her ear. Lex watched as her gaze took in each and every tree of the tiny forest clearing.

“What’s wrong, Lex?”

“How do I know we can trust you?”

“Oh, honey.” Martha’s voice quavered sadly. “I know you’ve been through a lot and I know you’re scared, but you’ll eventually have to trust someone; and I’d really like for that person to be me.”

“If I’m wrong, they’ll hurt Clark again.”

Several emotions flittered over Martha’s face: pain, rage, fear. “I’d rather die than hurt my son.”

“No,” Clark whimpered from beside him. “Don’t die, mommy.”

“Clark?” Martha sank to her knees, heedless of the sticks and dirt, and covered her mouth as if to prevent herself from crying out.

Praying he was doing the right thing, Lex released Clark’s shoulder and watched the little boy race toward his mother.

“Clark!” Lex watched as Martha engulfed her son and hugged him hard. Clark started to cry, but Lex knew it wasn’t because she was hurting him, but because he was happy. Martha pulled back a bit and peppered the little boy’s face with kisses until he squealed with laughter.

Longing like he’d never experienced before speared through Lex, and it took him several moments to shake it off. He’d done what he’d set out to do. He had reunited Clark with his mother, he just wished….

As if hearing his thoughts, Martha’s head snapped up and scanned the tiny clearing. “Lex?”

Lex debated the wisdom of complying with her silent request, but in the end he stepped out of his hiding place. Martha’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re a lot younger than I was expecting.” Standing, she absently brushed the dirt off her knees with one hand, although she never let go of Clark.

He shrugged, trying to affect an indifferent posture.

Martha took a step toward him. “How did you two escape?”

“Clark knew a way out, he just didn’t understand the numbers you had him memorize. He didn’t know how to find you.”

“But he trusted you enough to tell you the numbers?” Martha took another step and Lex found himself looking over his shoulder for a way to escape.

“Yes.” Lex swallowed hard. “Take care of him, Mrs. Kent.”

She took yet another step closer. “Martha.”

“Martha,” he repeated dutifully.

Before he could back away, Martha closed the distance between them, let go of Clark’s hand and wrapped both of her arms around Lex.

“Please don’t,” he begged.

“How can I not?” she whispered into his ear. “You gave me back my son and I can never repay you for that kindness.”

“You’re, uh, welcome.” He patted her back once, but she refused to let go; instead, she held him even tighter. He tried to remain rigid, but in the end he was no match for her gentle fierceness. He melted against her and sobbed once as she rocked him.

“You’re mine now, Lex. I’m never letting you go. Ask Clark, once I claim little boys, I keep them forever.”

More than anything, he wanted to believe her. “Really?”

Holding his shoulders, she stepped back until she could see his face. “Really.” Gathering Clark, she drew them both tightly against her chest. “Trust me, we’re going to get through this. Together.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Where’s daddy?” Clark looked expectantly around the small clearing.

Lex watched Martha close her eyes, as if praying for strength.

She knelt beside the little boy and looked him directly in the face. “Daddy isn’t coming, sweetheart,” she said softly.

Clark looked confused. “So when do I get to see him?”

Martha wrapped her arms around Clark and gave him a quick hug. “You don’t.”

“Ever?”

“Ever,” she whispered.

“Why not?”

Martha leaned back and tried to speak several times, but couldn’t find the right words. Finally, she released a sigh. “After the men took you away, things, adult things, between your daddy and I were...rough. We decided it would be best for both of us if we got a divorce.”

“What’s a divorce?”

“It means we don’t live together anymore.”

“Oh.” Clark thought seriously for a moment. “Doesn’t he want to see me?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t want to see you, baby, but it hurt him deeply when you were taken away from us. He’s afraid to see you because he doesn’t know if he can survive losing you again.”

Lex could tell that Martha wasn’t being completely truthful with Clark. She was sugar-coating the fact that Clark’s father didn’t want him anymore, didn’t want the hassle of dealing with a mutant child; that or he was too big of a coward to fight the government. A part of him was angry at her for lying to Clark, yet another part of him was extremely grateful for the gentle way she was dealing with the boy.

“Did it hurt you when I was taken away?” Clark awkwardly petted his mother’s chest, obviously distressed by the mere thought.

“Yes, it did, Clark. But I swore I wouldn’t rest until I found you. I love you more than anything and no one is ever going to take you away from me again.”

Martha hugged the boy hard for several minutes. As her grip relaxed, she bussed a kiss on the side of his neck. Clark squealed with laughter and squirmed from her grasp.

Dancing to Lex’s side, Clark took Lex’s hand in his and happily swung it back and forth. “And you’re keeping Lex?” he asked, needing reassurance.

“Yes, I’m keeping Lex.”

“Can I keep him, too?”

Martha looked over at Lex, a slow grin spreading over her face. “Well, now, I think you should ask Lex, don’t you?”

Clark turned and tilted his head back so he could look up at his friend. “Can I keep you, Lex?”

Lex swallowed hard, then knelt beside the boy. “Only if I can keep you too.”

Clark nodded eagerly, then threw himself at Lex and hugged him with surprising strength. Lex returned the hug and closed his eyes. A chuckle escaped him as Clark bussed a kiss on his neck, then danced out of his reach.

Still grinning, Lex looked over at Martha. “So what now?”

“Now we find a way to get out of Colorado.”

“And then?” Lex asked.

“Don’t worry, Lex. I have several resources at my disposal. I wasn’t expecting the government the first time they came to my home. I won’t be making that mistake again.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Why are we stopping?” Lex straightened in his seat as much as he could without waking Clark, whose head was in his lap. He blinked, trying to focus on the scenery beyond the truck’s windows, but couldn’t see past the interior’s reflection in his sleepy state.

“I’m going to check us into a hotel for the night,” Martha answered quietly.

“Are we out of Colorado yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m getting too tired to drive.” Martha leaned over and caressed his cheek. “Stay in the car with Clark. I’ll be right back. Keep your head down. Okay?”

Lex tried to stay awake, knew that he needed to be on his guard, but the warmth of the car lulled him back to sleep. A few minutes later, he blinked awake again as Martha climbed back into the truck.

“We have a room around back.” She waggled a key at him. “In just a few minutes, you boys will be able to sleep in a real bed again.”

Lex hummed happily at the thought.

After Martha pulled the keys from the ignition, she turned in her seat and faced Lex. “Are you awake enough to carry Clark inside?”

Lex nodded, even as he unlocked the door.

“I have a few things in a container in the back. Between the two of us, I think we can do this in one trip.”

“Okay.”

It took a bit of maneuvering but Lex managed to get Clark out of the car without waking him. With his mind on autopilot, he followed Martha into the small room and laid Clark on the queen-sized bed.

“I’m sorry there’s only one bed, but I didn’t want to make anyone suspicious by asking for two doubles.”

“I can sleep on the floor.” It was then that he took a good look at the gold and avocado green shag rug. The walls weren’t much better, and he wondered why there were so many mirrors in the room.

“Nonsense, the bed is big enough for the three of us. The question now is, would you like a shower before you turn in for the night or first thing in the morning?”

The thought of being clean again was more than Lex could resist. “Tonight, please.”

Carrying a small bag, Martha led Lex into the bathroom. “There’s soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush and deodorant in the bag. There’s also a nightshirt that’s going to be too big for you as I thought you were a bit older, but it’ll be okay for tonight. Call if you need anything else.” With that, she kissed him on the top of the head and pulled the bathroom door closed behind her.

Lex tried to hurry through his shower, but couldn’t make himself leave the warm water. The sleep shirt Martha had provided was probably eight sizes too big for him, but he was too tired to care.

He folded his dirty clothes, but left them on the floor. When he opened the door, Martha guided him to the bed and tucked him in before she disappeared into the bathroom.

A few minutes later she reappeared, climbed over Clark and situated herself in the middle of the mattress. Before he could protest, she gathered both he and Clark in the crook of her arms. Lex scooted closer, feeling safe for the first time since his father signed him over to the government.

Earlier in the day, Clark had made a big deal about keeping him, but as he closed his eyes, Lex realized that nothing in the world could ever make him give up Martha Kent.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Lex? Can you wake up for a moment?”

Lex opened his eyes, surprised to find Martha fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed beside him.

“I’m sorry to wake you up, sweetheart, but checkout’s at ten, and I need to get some more supplies before we hit the road. I wasn’t sure I could get back before you two woke up and I didn’t want you thinking I had abandoned you.”

“I’d never think that.”

She smiled sweetly at him. “How brave are you feeling this morning?”

Lex shook his head slightly, trying to make sense of her question. “Pardon me?”

“In about an hour, do you think you can wake Clark up and get him washed and dressed for me?”

Grinning at her, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I think I’m up to challenge.”

Martha leaned over and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Good. I’m also bringing breakfast back with me. Do you want anything in particular?”

“Whatever you get is fine.”

A frown marred Martha’s features. “That’s not what I asked.”

“I know. I just don’t…”

A finger covered his lips, silencing his protest. “You aren’t imposing on me. I want to make sure that both of my boys have a good meal before we hit the road. Okay?”

Blushing, Lex nodded.

“So what do you want for breakfast?”

“Pancakes?”

“Pancakes it is.”

“Thank you.”

Martha leaned over and pressed another kiss to his forehead. “No. Thank you.” She moved to the door and unhooked the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign from the knob. “Don’t open this for anyone and I mean anyone. Call me if anyone knocks.”

“I will.” Lex could tell she didn’t want to leave them. “I’ll protect him, Martha.”

“I know you will, sweetheart.” She smiled appreciatively at him. “I’ll be back in a flash.”

Lex scooted to the other side of the bed and grinned when Clark turned and cuddled closer to him. He tried to drift back to sleep, but couldn’t relax enough to let go of his worries.

A half hour after Martha left, Clark began showing signs of life.

“Mommy?”

“She went to get us some breakfast, munchkin.”

Clark’s eyes fill with tears. “She’s coming back, isn’t she?”

“Of course, she’s coming back, silly. In fact, she asked me to get you ready. I think we’re going to hit the road as soon as we eat.”

Clark’s eyes went wide. “Won’t that hurt?”

“Oh brother.” Lex rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s see if there’s a little boy under all this dirt.”

“I’m not dirty.” Clark sounded affronted.

“Clark, if I stuck a seed on you, it would take root and grow.”

“Na-uh.”

“Uh-huh.” Lex got out of bed and plodded toward the bathroom. “Come on, let’s surprise your mom by being ready by the time she gets back.” Lex blinked in shock to find Clark standing in the bathroom doorway. “It’s too early in the morning for that,” he said with mock crankiness.  
Clark giggled unrepentedly. “Why are you wearing a dress?”

“Oh, shut up.”

Clark giggled again, not offended in the least by Lex’s words.

It took Lex longer to get Clark bathed and dressed than he thought it would. The boy was more interested in playing with the bubbles Martha had left than getting clean. Only the promise of food lured him out of the tub.

“I’m back,” Martha called out from the other room.

“Mommy!” A dressed, albeit slightly damp, Clark ran out to greet her.

Martha laughed as she tried to maintain her balance as Clark wrapped himself around her waist. She handed Lex a sack of clothes. “I hope these are okay.”

“I’m sure they’re fine.”

“Well, go get changed so we can eat.” She shooed him toward the bathroom, then proceeded to tickle Clark.

The promise of food made Lex hurry. When he was done, he looked in the mirror and appraised his reflection. It wasn’t Ralph Lauren, but he thought he could seriously learn to appreciate flannel.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Martha looked critically around the hotel room. “Do we have everything? Lex, are your clothes and books in your backpack?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Where’s Clark’s bag?”

“I have it.” Lex held up the smaller pack that held Clark’s newly purchased toys.

“All right. Let’s get a move-on then.”

Martha opened the door, only to find the barrel of a semi-automatic pointing directly in her face. Before the agent spoke, Martha used both hands to slam the door shut then spun toward Lex. “Bathroom!”

Lex grabbed Clark’s hand and all but threw the younger boy into the bathroom. He turned and watched in horror as the door splintered open. Martha screamed in rage and threw herself at the agent. While her initial maneuver had worked, the large man was apparently expecting her attack and succeeded in knocking her onto the bed.

“Mommy!”

A breeze blew past Lex just a second before the agent lurched forward, dropping his automatic in the process. Another agent ran into the room, took in his partner’s situation and immediately drew his weapon and pointed it at Clark.

Without conscious thought, Lex dove forward, picked up the gun and squeezed the trigger at the newest arrival. While everything had been moving too fast to see just a moment before, Lex was amazed by how instantaneously things slowed down. He watched in horrified amazement as the second agent slammed against the wall, blood spurting outward from his body. As the second agent slammed against the wall, his hand convulsed and his weapon discharged. But instead of the bullet hitting Clark, it struck the man’s partner in the back, slamming him forward onto Martha.

Silence blanketed the room and the only thing Lex was cognizant of was the sound of his own breathing. While he knew he hadn’t moved, he felt as if he were viewing a movie on the giant surround-sound screen his father had commissioned for the playroom in the penthouse.

He watched Martha roll out from underneath the first agent and push herself off the bed. Clark ran forward and wrapped his arms around her legs. Martha said something to Clark, but Lex couldn’t hear the words. He watched, frozen, as she checked the man’s pulse on the bed, then turned and did the same thing to the second agent. She stepped forward cautiously and removed the weapon from the limp man’s hands, sticking the automatic in the back of her pants.

When she appeared satisfied that neither man was going to give them any trouble, she turned and faced him. Lex could tell she was talking to him, but he couldn’t hear anything over his own harsh gasps. She walked slowly toward him, like she thought he would run.

He expected to see disgust or anger on her face, but all he could see was concern. Gently, she took the gun from his hand and wrapped him in a strong embrace then guided him out of the room and to the truck.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 _“Is he going to be okay?”_

 _“I don’t know. He’s gone through a serious shock.”_

 _“Do you want me to call our doctor? He’s very discreet.”_

 _“Not yet. Because of my husband’s connections with the FBI, I don’t want to involve anyone else unless I have no other choice. I didn’t want to involve you all, but--”_

 _“Nonsense. That’s why we set up this women’s shelter in the first place. You tend to your sons. I’ll get you all some warm food.”_

 _“Thank you, Barbara. I don’t know what we’d have done without you.”_

The door shut softly and the mattress beside him dipped, just before a warm hand gently caressed his cheek.

“Lex? Can you open your beautiful blue eyes for me, honey?”

Lex obediently blinked his eyes open, taking in his surroundings for the first time. They were in a small, homily decorated room. The wallpaper had strands of daisies running from floor to ceiling. The room had two double-sized beds, a dresser and a closet. Martha sat beside him, her face unnaturally pale, giving her an almost ethereal glow.

“There you are.” Martha smiled tenderly at him. “How are you feeling?”

Lex opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words to speak.

“I know.” Martha rubbed slow, soothing circles on his chest. “You’ve had quite a shock, but you’re safe now. We’re all safe because of you.”

At the word ‘we,’ panic rose in Lex’s throat.

Martha shushed him. “Clark’s safe. He’s sleeping right next to you.” She turned his chin slightly so he could see the sleeping child. “You kept him safe.”

Tears filled Lex’s eyes and Martha pulled him into a sitting position and held him tight, making Lex realized that this woman had touched him more in the last twenty-four hours than anyone else had in years. A voice, sounding surprisingly like his father, lectured that only the pathetic needed coddling, but he quashed it ruthlessly. If having her touch him meant he was weak, then Lex would proudly wear the label.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered over his ear. “You should never have been put in that position. I should have been ready, but I wasn’t expecting them so soon. I swear to you now, Lex, I’m never going to make that mistake again.”

“Are they dead?” he asked, finally able to find his voice.

“No. At least, they weren’t. Both of them were breathing when we left and there were sirens so I know that emergency personnel got to them quickly. I’m just sorry you were placed in that position.”

“I’m not.” His voice sounded like he hadn’t used it in years.

“Pardon me?”

He swallowed hard and pulled back from her slightly so that he could see her face. “I’m not sorry.”

“Lex--”

“No,” he cut her off. “That man was hurting you. The other one was going to shoot Clark. If I ever see either of them again, I’ll kill them.”

Martha cupped his chin and made him look at her. “That’s not who you are.”

Lex sank back onto the mattress. “That’s exactly who I am. I’m a Luthor, after all.”

She shook her head at him and smiled. “No, you’re not. Or have you forgotten my claim already?”

“Martha--”

“No.” Martha held his hand tightly to her chest. “I’m not going to be able to give you the life you used to have, Lex. But I swear to you, we’re going to have a good life, a fantastic life. Just you, me and Clark. No one is ever going to take either of you away from me again.”

“Martha--”

“I need you, Lex. We’re a team. I need you to help me raise Clark.”

Lex sighed, tired of fighting, tired of pretending he didn’t want what she was offering. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Okay,” he whispered.

Martha leaned down and kissed his knuckles. “Believe me, Lex, we’re going to have a very interesting life together.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

  
**BOOK TWO**   


The sweet bouquet of apples and cinnamon greeted Lex the moment he stepped into the apartment building, but his anticipatory smile faded as the aroma of banana bread and chocolate chip cookies competed with the pie. Martha was worrying, which meant something had happened to Clark at school. Deciding to forego the elevator, he sprinted up the stairs two at a time and jogged to the front door. He took a deep breath to center himself, then unlocked the door and moved inside, making sure to relock it behind him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked by way of greeting.

Sharp lines of worry highlighted Martha’s normally vibrant eyes. “There was a fire at school.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“No. Thank God.”

Lex nodded, but said nothing as he walked to the other side of the worktable.

“Clark thinks he started it,” Martha said quietly.

“How?”

“With his eyes.”

As Clark worked his way through puberty, more and more unusual abilities had begun to manifest themselves. When he was little, he was super fast. As he grew older, he became exponentially stronger and his body became invulnerable to injury. Just a few months prior, he discovered he could see through almost anything except lead.

While concerned, Lex wasn’t really surprised that Clark had gained another ability. “Does he know what triggered the fire?”

Martha stopped mixing the brownie batter and set her bowl on the table. “I think he does.”

Lex frowned over her hesitant phrasing. “What do you mean ‘you think he does’?”

“He was really upset when he came home.”

“I know he likes it here, but--” Lex stopped when he realized that Martha was baking versus packing. “Aren’t we leaving?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because the fire happened outside. It didn’t take place anywhere close to him. I called the school and they’re saying it was caused by the heat we’re having. There have been fires all over the state. They’re ‘reassuring’ parents that there’s no cause for alarm, and that they’re taking measures to keep the property watered on a more frequent basis.”

“Yeah?” He frowned, not sure he was following her line of reasoning.

“I think as long as we keep a heightened vigil, we should be okay.”

“Mom--”

“We only have a couple more weeks until the end of the school year. I’d really like for him to be able to finish out the school year here.”

Lex chewed the inside of his lip. He knew if he insisted Martha would uproot them, believing it was better to be safe than sorry, but he also knew that Clark was really enjoying his classes. He sighed in resignation. “It probably wouldn’t hurt to have the running packs restocked.”

“They already are.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Lex nodded toward the back of the apartment.

“Please.” Martha looked amused and pained at the same time. “I have a hunch that this isn’t something he’d feel comfortable discussing with his mother.”

Lex snatched a cookie off the table, narrowly avoiding Martha’s playful swat. Munching his stolen booty, he walked to the back of the apartment, knocked once on the closed door and entered the room before Clark could warn him off. “Hey, Sparky.”

Unamused green eyes glared at him for a brief instant before Clark dropped his face back onto the pillow. “That’s not funny,” came the muffled response.

Lex snickered and flopped on the mattress beside Clark. “So any idea what the trigger was this time?”

The sulky teenager refused to look at him. When it became apparent that Clark wasn’t going to respond, Lex stuffed the rest of the cookie into his mouth and forcefully rolled the boy onto his back and poked him in the ribs. “You don’t honestly think I’m going away, do you?”

Clark frowned at him and sighed so heavily that it seemed to echo around the room.

“What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Lex made a buzzing noise. “Wrong answer.” When Clark didn’t respond, Lex poked him again. “If we don’t talk about it, it might happen again.”

Clark tried another tack. “It’s embarrassing.”

“More embarrassing than my losing that dumb ass bet last month and having to dance the Macarena in front of the building?”

Despite his best attempts to remain petulant, a goofy grin blossomed over Clark’s face, but the instant he realized what he was doing the smile disappeared.

Lex tried to rein in his impatience. “I can’t help you if I don’t have any data.”

Clark pushed himself into a seated position and scooted off the end of the bed.

“Clark?”

“I was...th-thinking about...someone.”

“Thinking?”

“You know, thinking.” Clark turned, dipped his head and looked at Lex as if he was trying to mentally communicate what he meant.

Lex’s eyes widened as he caught Clark’s meaning. “Oh! ‘Thinking’ thinking.”

“Yeah.” Clark’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Ah.”

“What does ‘ah’ mean?”

“Well,” Lex hesitated a moment, knowing how much Clark hated talking about his abilities. “We already knew that a lot of children came into their powers once they start puberty--”

“Lex!”

“So given the circumstances we can hypothesis that this newest phenomenon is hormonal in nature.”

“Great.” Clark slid down the wall and rested his forehead on his knees.

“It’s not that bad, brat. Now that we know what the trigger is, we can work on your control. How about after dinner, we walk over to the park and see if we can create some fireworks?”

Clark nodded, torn between obvious gratitude and misery.

“I just wish we knew why you keep gaining new abilities. Almost everyone else who was affected by the meteor shower only gained one ability, usually manifesting into something they were thinking about or doing at the time of the strike. Why did the storm affect you differently?”

“Excuse me.” Holding a cloth bundle in her hands, Martha stood in the doorway looking even paler than usual. “I think I can answer that question.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Lex blinked in stunned amazement as he watched Clark absently caress the alien metal in his hands. Information. He needed more information. “Where’s the ship now?”

Martha shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know. Before the government came, we kept it in the storm cellar.”

“Did the government confiscate it when they took Clark?”

“No.” Martha began pacing back and forth beside Clark’s bed. “As far as the government was concerned, Clark was just another meteor mutant. After he was taken, Jonathan was afraid the government might come back. He wanted the ship off the farm. I don’t know where he took it. I didn’t ask.”

“Do you think the government knows what, I mean, who he is?”

Looking miserable, Martha nodded. “You told me they were taking blood from him the first night you two were together. Once they analyzed it...”

“It would explain why they’ve never stopped looking for us.” Lex watched the silent teen with concerned eyes. “Our escape seems to have been fortuitously timed.”

Clark finally took his gaze off the metal and looked up at his mother. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Before Martha could reply, Lex answered for her. “What purpose would it have served?”

Several emotions flashed over Clark’s expressive face, and Lex was struck by how lost the younger boy looked. One moment he was staring at them with tear-filled eyes, the next he was gone and the front door was slammed shut.

“Clark!” Martha cried.

Lex gently grasped her forearm to keep her from racing after him. “I’ll find him.”

“Lex--” Her voice ached with regret and pain.

“It’ll be okay, mom. I promise.” He brushed his lips against her cheek and moved quickly out of the apartment.

Once the door closed behind him, Lex took a moment to consider where he should start his search. Rationally, he knew Clark could be in Canada, but he also knew that Clark would never leave them unprotected, which meant he was somewhere close.

The roof.

While Clark had a phobia about heights, he still sought out high places when he needed to think. Lex climbed the stairs and opened the door to the roof, breathing a small sigh of relief when he spotted Clark in the far corner.

He walked to Clark’s side and looked over the city, but made no attempt to start a conversation, trusting that Clark would let him know when he was ready to talk.

Several minutes of companionable silence passed before Clark’s stance relaxed and he leaned ever so slightly toward him.

“Big day,” Lex said softly.

Clark snorted with sad amusement. “Yeah.”

“Sort of cool though.”

Turning his head toward Lex, Clark frowned slightly.

“Well, except for the lack of information thing, I think it’s pretty damn awesome.”

“You don’t think I’m a freak?”

Lex placed his elbows on the brick retaining wall and flashed Clark a mischievous grin. “I’ve always thought you were a freak, Clark. Finding out that you’re actually an alien doesn’t really change that opinion.”

Clark bumped him with his hip, then leaned back against the wall, facing Lex instead of the city. “You know, I shouldn’t find comfort in that statement, but I do.”

“It’s because you’re a freak.”

“No, you’re the freak. I’m an alien.”

“Oh sure, if you want to argue semantics.”

A chuckle escaped Clark, but the boy quickly sobered. “What am I going to do?”

Lex turned to fully face the teenager. “Nothing’s changed, Clark.”

“How can you say that?”

“You’ve always known you were adopted.”

“Yeah, so?”

“The government has been after us for years.”

Clark nodded.

“You’ve...we’ve...always been isolated from those around us because of who we are. We’ve never been able to tell anyone who we really were.”

Clark swallowed hard and released a small sigh.

“Your mother still loves you and I still think you’re a giant pain in my ass. So what’s different?”

“Well, when you put it that way--”

“Honestly, Clark, what’s different?”

“Nothing, I guess.”

“Exactly. You are who you’ve always been, except now you’ve got an even cooler secret.”

They stood in silence for several minutes, both lost in their thoughts.

“Do you think there are any more like me?” Clark finally asked.

Straightening, Lex shrugged. “It certainly stands to reason.”

“Why do you think my parents sent me to Earth?”

Lex reached forward, cupped his hand around the back of Clark’s neck, pulled the boy’s head into the crook of his elbow and gave him a noogie. While Clark could have broken away, he didn’t, always mindful of his strength. Lex started walking toward the stairwell, towing the bent and giggling teenager with him. “Who knows? It could be anything. The planet could’ve blown up or there might have been some sort of plague. Hell, you could be the rightful heir of the king and your parents’ enemies kidnapped you and sent you into space to keep you from ruling.”

“I like that last scenario.”

“I figured you would.”

“Where are we going?”

“Who would’ve guessed that aliens have such short attention spans?”

“Hey--”

“We’re going to the park to learn how to barbeque the hormonal way. Or did you forget that already, your highness?”

Lex let go of Clark, but before he could reach for the knob, Clark leaned one hand against the door, preventing Lex from opening it.

“Why do you put up with me?”

Lex blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“How come you never give up on me?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not? My dad did.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t claim him, you claimed me.”

“Claimed you?”

“Yeah. I’m guessing it’s some sort of weird alien ritual.”

“You’re such a dork.”

Lex smiled affectionately. “Drama queen.”

“Freak.”

“Alien.”

“Macarena enthusiast.”

Lex gasped loudly. “You take that back.”

“Make me.”

Clark laughed, slipped past Lex and raced down the stairs. Closing his eyes briefly, Lex gave silent thanks that a disaster had been averted then charged down the stairs yelling threats no one believed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Contemplating the stars while they spun in their eternal dance had always been one of Lex’s favorite shared pastimes with Clark. When Clark was nine, Lex had been able to save up enough money to buy them a second-hand telescope, but it got left behind in Colorado when their car had unexpectedly broken down on the highway and government agents had been a little too close for comfort.

As he laid on a small knoll, deep in the city’s largest park, Clark’s head resting comfortably on his stomach, Lex found it ironic that both he and Clark had been drawn to the stars, never knowing exactly why.

“Which one do you think I’m from?” Clark whispered reverently.

Lex absently ran his fingers through the boy’s hair. “I couldn’t even begin to guess. For all we know, you came from one of the stars that can only be seen from the southern hemisphere.”

“It doesn’t seem real, does it?”

Lex took a moment to think about his answers. “In some ways,” he said quietly, “it makes perfect sense.”

Rolling onto his stomach and propping his chin onto his palms, Clark studied Lex. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’ve always been a gift, Clark; and it’s been my experience that mankind can’t appreciate, let alone understand, that sort of universal endowment.”

“Lex…” Clark’s voice sounded choked.

“On the other hand, it’s probably because you’re such a big dweeb that it’s fairly obvious we had to import you.”

With an indignant huff, Clark pounced on him and the two of them tussled as they rolled down the slight incline, finally ending in a laughing pile of tangled limbs. Their flashlight was lost during the tumble down the hill and when it finally rolled to a stop it illuminated Clark’s face from underneath, giving him an otherworldly glow. Lex’s breath caught in his chest as Clark’s normally green eyes stared down at him with an emotion he couldn’t name. A warm shiver ran through his body, making him unexplainably uncomfortable.

“You, uh, ready to try your firebug impersonation again?”

Clark blinked slowly like he was coming back into himself from a long distance. He disentangled himself from Lex and pushed himself to his feet, then reached down and pulled Lex to his feet. Their hands lingered a moment longer than was necessary and Lex was confused as to why he felt bereft when Clark finally pulled his hand away.

Giving himself a good shake, Lex turned Clark toward the fire pit they had dug earlier. “Okay, I want you to think about the per…the girl you were thinking about when the fire started.”

Clark glared at the pile of twigs, but nothing happened.

“Don’t force it,” Lex instructed. He gently rubbed Clark’s back. “Think about her face. Now think about how it might look after you kiss her. How she’d…whoa, Sparky!”

The pit suddenly jumped to life, each flame seemingly trying to outdo the next one as they leapt upward.

“You did it!”

Clark ducked his head and blushed furiously as he kicked dirt onto the fire.

Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Lex tried to organize all the thoughts that jumped into his head on how to refine Clark’s technique. “Okay, let’s try it again, but this time…”

By the end of their session, Clark could use his heat vision at will, although he still had some trouble with controlling the intensity of the flame.

They walked side by side through the city streets in companionable silence.

“I think you should practice by lighting candles; that should help you refine your skill even more,” Lex said absently.

“Okay.”

Clark’s flat tone pulled Lex out of his thoughts. “What’s wrong, brat?”

Shaking his head, Clark quickened his stride. While confused by the teen’s sudden shift in mood, Lex knew better than to try to keep pace. Just as he had on the roof, he knew Clark would talk when he was ready.

Clark was almost fifty feet ahead of him before he stopped and turned to face Lex. “You’re leaving us, aren’t you?”

Lex closed his eyes. He had hoped he’d have a little more time to prepare Clark for the inevitable. “Spying is something I would’ve expected from you when you were ten, but not fourteen.”

“Don’t try to deflect the question, Lex.”

“Do you really want to shout this conversation on the street?”

Clark released a deep shuddering breath, closed his eyes and disappeared.

Lex found Clark fifteen minutes later standing in the exact same place on the roof that he had earlier.

Knowing there wasn’t a good way to start the conversation, Lex sidled next to the teen and tried humor. “You know, for someone afraid of heights, you certainly have an affinity for the roof.”

The teen turned his back on Lex, but made no attempt to leave. Sighing, Lex rested his forehead on Clark’s back.

“I’m going to turn twenty-one in five weeks, Clark.”

“So?” was the petulant response.

“So, that’s when I can legally claim my mother’s inheritance.”

“You mean now that you’re coming into your millions, you don’t need us anymore.”

Lex bit back his own anger as he forced the boy to face him. “God, do you always have to make everything so fucking hard?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are we standing in your way to becoming fabulously wealthy?”

Lex clenched his fist in Clark’s shirtsleeve and tried desperately to control his breathing. “For your information, your highness, the only way I can collect my mother’s inheritance is to go to her attorney’s office and sign the papers. My father has hired a legion of men whose sole purpose is to prevent me from ever reaching the building.”

“So, forget the money.”

“I can’t forget the money, Clark.”

“Why not?”

Lex shook Clark once, hard. “Because that kind of money will make us instantly high profile. Once we’re in the public eye, the government can never take us again without exposing their little covert operation. It means I can give you a normal life, Clark. It means I can give mom everything she deserves to have, to pay her back for everything she’s given up for us.”

Clark’s face crumpled as he tried to hold back his tears. “It’s not worth the risk.”

“It _is_ worth the risk,” Lex said vehemently. “Aren’t you sick of running, Clark? Aren’t you tired of being afraid all the time? With that money, I can make sure we’re never frightened again, that no one can ever separate us.”

Clark shook his head. “No. You don’t love us anymore. You’re tired of us, tired of me.”

“That’s right,” Lex snapped. He dropped his hands from Clark’s arms and took a step back. “I’m sick and damn tired of living with an alien. Why shouldn’t I collect my millions?”

Lex spun and headed for the door, banging it shut behind him as he pounded down the steps toward the apartment.

When he slammed open the apartment door, Martha appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Lex?”

Lex shook his head, telling her he didn’t want to talk. He stormed into his room and flopped himself onto his bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, he groaned inwardly, knowing he needed to go back to the roof, knowing that Clark took everything so personally and the last thing he needed was the teenager really thinking he was trying to escape him.

But instead of getting out of bed, he raised both of his hands and laid them over his face, trying to hold back the sob threatening to escape him. How in the world could he tell Clark he was scared to death? That his father always won? That no one ever beat the devil at his own game, but that he had to try? Clark’s future was at stake and Lex would face everything his father had to throw at him to protect the boy and his mother.

The bed dipped and creaked as Clark climb onto the bed. The teen laid by his side and tightly wrapped an arm and leg around Lex.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Lex,” the boy sobbed quietly.

Lex swallowed his own tears as he lowered his arms and wrapped them around Clark.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Lex knew he was in trouble the moment the aroma of chicken fried steak penetrated his sleepy brain and brought him to full wakefulness. He glanced over at the clock and groaned when he realized it was only five in the morning. Martha was obviously stewing and probably hadn’t slept at all.

The heavy weight on his chest told him that Clark hadn’t had a chance to tell her about their argument and he couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.

He wondered briefly if he should try to face the lioness alone, but decided he definitely needed access to puppy eyes if he was going to have any hope of coming out of the den unscathed.

“Clark,” he whispered. “Clark, get up.”

The teen snuggled closer. “No,” came the petulant reply.

“Clark, mom’s fixing chicken fried steak.”

Clark lifted his head, his sleepy eyes clearing quickly. “Oh, shit, what have you done this time?”

“What do you mean _me_ , pale face? I think this is definitely an _us_ thing.”

A voice wafted from the kitchen. “Clark! Lex! Breakfast’s ready.”

Lex grabbed Clark’s arm as the teen started to push himself out of bed. “If you even think about speeding out of here this morning, I’ll track you to the ends of the earth.”

The smile Clark aimed at him was practically blinding. “I’m not the one in trouble, kimosabe.”

“How do you know, firebug? She was baking when I came home yesterday.”

“Desserts. This morning it’s comfort food.”

Lex groaned and flopped back onto the bed. This was going to be ugly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Morning, mom.” Clark bounced into the kitchen and kissed Martha on the cheek. He made a big production out of smelling the food before he sat at the table and started loading his plate.

“Morning, sweetheart.”

Lex didn’t miss the strain in Martha’s smile as she turned her attention on him. He kissed her cheek as he did every morning then sat at the table across from Clark. After he filled his plate, he took a deep breath to speak, but Clark kicked him under the table. Sighing, he obediently remained silent. The discussion was going to happen one way or the other and Clark was making it very clear that he wanted to eat first.

When his father had been disappointed with him as a child and the initial storm of lectures had passed, Lionel would often ignore him for days, leaving him to fend for himself. Martha, on the other hand, never let her emotions interfere with caring for his day-to-day needs. He had been reduced to tears several times during their first year together, unsure how to react in the face of such unconditional love, especially when he knew he had let her down.

Although food was the last thing on his mind, he ate his breakfast for the simple reason of not wanting to hurt her feelings, and was surprised to find his appetite as the meal progressed.

When his plate was almost clean, he glanced over at Martha, who was picking at her breakfast. “The silence is killing me, mom.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief as she set her fork on the plate.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately,” she started.

“Uh-oh,” Clark muttered under his breath. When Martha turned a pointed gaze at him, he blushed and turned his attention back to his plate.

“And the way you explained things to me,” she continued, pointedly ignoring Clark, “your twenty-first birthday is the soonest you can claim your inheritance, but that there isn’t any sort of time limit placed on your claiming the money. Correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And we both know that your father is expecting you to collect the money as soon as you can,” she stated more than asked.

“I would venture to guess that hypothesis is correct.”

Martha set her elbows on either side of her plate, entwined her fingers and rested her chin on the bridge she created. “So why are we playing into his plans?”

Lex sighed, knowing the battle had finally been joined. “Mom, you know what that money could mean for us.”

“Yes, I do.”

“I need to protect you and Clark and that money is the best way to do it.”

“I understand your need, but you need to understand mine as well.”

“Mom, I know what you’re going to say--”

“Do you, Lex? You talk about your need to protect Clark and I, but what about our need to protect you? Surely, you don’t expect us to sit on our hands while you take your father on single-handedly?”

“If something ever happened to you or Cla--”

“And if anything were ever to happen to you--”

“Stalemate,” Clark intoned cheerfully. As soon as the word was out of the teen’s mouth, he dropped his head and started eating again.

“Lex, for the last seven years I’ve taught you to think outside the box. Why are you suddenly disregarding all of my teachings?”

Lex blinked, unsure how to answer the question.

“The money’s not going anywhere. Don’t play into your father’s hand. Give us some time and we’ll work out an alternative.”

“Mom--”

“I need you, Lex. I need you to help me with Clark, just as I’ve always needed you.”

“Mom--”

“Are you telling me that you can’t come up with a plan that will make the plot of Mission: Impossible look amateurish by comparison?”

Lex grinned at her, knowing she was playing to his vanity, yet loving her for it at the same time. “You don’t play fair.”

She regarded him seriously. “I’m not playing.”

“Even if I decide not to go after the money right away, you have to know that my father’s going to up the ante the closer we get to my birthday.”

“I’ve suspected as much.”

Lex rubbed both hands over his face. “He’s going to come looking for me.”

“Then I suggest we get ready for him.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A light breeze danced through the park and skimmed over Lex’s body as he laid on the child’s merry-go-round and continued on toward destinations unknown. One foot lazily skimmed the sand as the playground equipment spun in a slow constant circle. He wondered if he should construe the action as a metaphor for his life, then decided that he was in too good of a mood to contemplate anything so futile or depressing.

“Where do you want to be in five years?”

Lex rolled his head to one side and looked at Clark, trying to gauge the teen’s mood. “Why?”

Clark shrugged and leaned back so that he, too, was lying on the floor of the equipment. “Just curious.”

“Where do you want to be in five years?” Lex countered.

“Na-uh.” Clark dug one foot in the sand and pushed, making Lex grab for the rusty bar overhead to keep from being flung off the little ride. “I asked first.”

Lex considered the question for a moment. “I’d like for us not to be on the run anymore.”

Clark rolled onto his stomach, crossed his arms and leaned on his elbows so that he could see Lex better. “Well, that’s a given.”

“Oh, it is, is it?” Lex asked with great amusement.

Clark nodded. “Yeah, because you promised that by my twenty-first birthday I’d never have to worry about the government again.”

Lex swallowed hard as a wave of emotion caught him unexpectedly. Clark’s quiet faith warmed him more than he would have thought possible. “And you believe I can accomplish that task?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

The teen’s mischievous grin was all the warning Lex had that their ride was coming to an end. He barely got his hand around the bar before they lurched to an abrupt halt. By unspoken agreement, they pushed themselves off the tiny ride and attempted to stand erect. Neither of them had much success and they both ended up giggling and careening drunkenly into each other.

Once the world righted itself again, Lex headed toward the swings.

“Seriously, Lex, where--”

A movement at the edge of the park caught Lex’s eye and he raised his hand to forestall any more questions. “Get mom.”

Clark turned his head just enough to be able to spy the intruder. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself,” he whispered.

Lex wrapped the front of Clark’s shirt around his knuckles. “I need to know she’s safe. Pack up and meet me at Zulu Four.”

The teen looked like he was going to protest again, but Lex froze him with a stare he had learned from his father.

“Zulu Four,” Clark whispered obediently.

Nodding once, Lex unwrapped his hand. “Now.”

In a blink, Clark was gone. Lex moved toward the west side of the park as casually as he could, all the while keeping his tail in his peripheral vision. He wasn’t surprised when another man in a dark suit joined the first one, but they were too far away for him to determine if they were government agents or his father’s men. Their hunters had taken to dressing in the same sort of suits so it was almost impossible to tell them apart at a distance.

Lex had no doubt that the various entrances to the park were being covered, but he continued to walk at a normal pace. One of the reasons he and Clark spent so much time in the park was because they had explored every last inch of it and the surrounding area. Before he reached the last bend, he moved off the path and into the woods.

He heard a startled bark behind him and bit back a smile as he quietly slipped into the drainage well. The men following him had to be government men. The agency was constantly rotating agents in and out of circulation depending on what other jobs they had going at any given moment. Over the years, Lex had determined that while the government passed on “big picture” information, they had a tendency not to pass on anything they considered trivial. Therefore, each succeeding team had a propensity to fall for similar ploys over and over again. Not that he was complaining.

His father kept the same men, which was making life more exciting as they rarely fell for the same gag twice and because they’d recently started to take each deception personally. Given the choices, Lex knew life would be better if the government caught him; the alternative was too awful to contemplate.

He jumped off the ladder and sighed as he felt the stagnant water wash over the top of his shoes. Once he access to his mother’s money, he vowed never to step foot in another sewer for as long as he lived. He glanced at his watch and realized he had fifteen minutes to get to the alpha rendezvous before Clark and Martha fell back to the beta position.

Flipping on a small flashlight he kept in his pocket, he headed into the east tunnel. He’d only gone about a hundred yards before he heard the scrape of iron on concrete and knew his escape route had been discovered. He took great care not to splash any more than necessary as he made his way in the darkness.

“Over here,” a voice echo behind him.

As his hunters appeared to be gaining ground, he decided that speed was preferable to silence and picked up his pace.

“We don’t want to hurt you, Lex.”

Lex snorted in disbelief. They didn’t really think he’d buy that line, did they? He couldn’t even begin to count the number of times he had heard that vague promise.

He ducked around a corner and ran smack into a suited man. Both of them were stunned into immobility, but Lex reacted first and drove his fist into the man’s jaw. The man staggered back and Lex raced passed him.

He heard the shot a second before it entered his shoulder and spun him into the slimey wall. His only thought was that Martha was going to have a fit if he was late to the rendezvous.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The pain in his shoulder burned so fiercely that Lex could barely focus on the tunnel in front of him. He stumbled and fell hard onto his hands and knees, but immediately surged back to his feet, knowing if he stayed down too long he wouldn’t have the strength to stand.

It took him a moment to find his balance and he used the time to fret about missing the first rendezvous checkpoint. Clark and Martha had no doubt figured out that things hadn’t gone according to plan; and while he knew sticking to the plan would go against their nature, he prayed they’d fallen back to the beta position.

He looked over his shoulder and released a shuddered breath when he realized he had somehow managed to lose his pursuers. As he passed beneath a manhole, the urge to head topside nearly overwhelmed him, but he knew there would be hordes of agents swarming the streets overhead. Rubbing his forehead with the length of his arm, he tried to focus on an escape plan, knowing the key to his survival would be to find a place where no one would think to look for him.

Unbidden, an image sprang to mind. Clark had shown him a warren of abandoned repair shafts only two weeks before. The teen had been incredibly proud of the find and had declared it the perfect hiding spot.

Lex blinked several times in an attempt to focus on his surroundings and couldn’t believe his luck when he realized he was fairly close to the location. Biting the inside of his lip, he lurched forward until he found the approximate area of the hidden entrance. It took him several moments to find it, then several more to make sure he hadn’t left any tracks leading to the portal. Once he was satisfied that he hadn’t, he bent low and stepped through the hatch.

The dank mustiness nearly overwhelmed him, but he grinned. As far as he was concerned the stale air was the sweetest of perfumes. He moved further into the warren until he found a dry concrete ledge. It took him a number of tries before he was able to climb onto it. While he worried about bleeding out in his sleep, he also knew he didn’t have the strength to keep moving. Lying on his chest, he prayed that a short rest would refresh him enough to continue onward.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Lex. Lex, wake up. Please wake up.”

The distressed voice picked at his consciousness until he roused enough to open his eyes. “Clark?” His tongue felt dry and swollen, and he rolled his head to the side to find the boy standing across the tiny room. “Whasrong?”

“You’ve been shot.”

Lex nodded, distinctly remembering the unpleasant incident. “Where’s ma…”

“She’s safe. She’s at fallback delta.”

“Why…why…” Lex struggled to focus on Clark, but his vision kept wavering in and out of focus. “There?”

“I can’t get close. It hurts.”

“Hurts? You ‘kay?”

Clark looked distressed, but Lex couldn’t think of anything to make the boy feel better.

“I’m okay. It’s just whenever I get close to you I feel like I’m dying, like when I’m too close to green meteor rock.”

“‘akes ense.”

“What does?”

“Bul…let. Me…met…space rock.”

Clark started forward, gritting his teeth against the pain. “We have to get you out of here.”

Flapping his hand toward Clark, Lex rolled his head back and forth in denial.

“I can’t leave you here, Lex. I won’t. And if you even suggest it, I’ll tell Mom.”

Despite their situation, Clark’s adamant frustration made Lex huff in breathless amusement. “Tattle ‘ale.”

“It’s not funny.”

Lex’s grin faltered as the starkness of their situation hit him full force. If Clark couldn’t pick him up because of the meteorite lodged in his shoulder, he was going to end up dying in a sewer. Anger sparked within him. His father may have given him to the government to save his own sorry hide, but he was still enough of a Luthor to vow that there was no way in hell he was going to die in a dank hole under the city.

“Mom,” he whispered.

“You want me to bring Mom here?”

Lex hesitated. Martha was safe. He didn’t want to bring her back into harm’s way, but before he could answer, Clark was gone.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A warm hand gently stroked Lex’s face, startling him awake.

“Shh, honey. It’s just me.”

He whimpered. “Mom?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“Hurt.”

“I know you do, sweetheart. I’m going to see what I can do about that. Okay?”

“‘kay.”

As he heard the back of his shirt rip, Lex opened his eyes and focused on Clark, who was pacing fretfully back and forth several feet away. He tried to raise his hand toward the boy to let him know that he was okay, but he was too weak to lift his arm. Clark saw the gesture and stopped, then took a step closer to Lex.

“Stay where you are, Clark,” Martha said in a soft steel voice.

Lex’s back twitched as Martha gently ran her hands over his skin, trying to assess the amount of damage he’d sustained.

“So do you two want to explain to me why you didn’t just have Clark superspeed you home?”

Lex hissed when Martha poured a saline solution over the wound to clean it.

“Wheels,” Lex answered between his clenched teeth.

“Alexander Joseph, what am I going to do with you?”

“But…”

“Don’t you dare ‘but’ me, young man. You know the rules. First we regroup, then we worry about transportation.” In spite of the harshness in her tone, the hands probing his back were exceedingly gentle. “If we have to walk, we walk. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. I can’t believe you risked yourself over something so stupid. What would I do if I lost you? What would Clark do?”

Tears welled in his eyes and he felt the moisture track slowly down his cheek. Clark bent low and stretched his arm forward, taking Lex’s hand in his and squeezing it gently.

“S-s-sor-ry,” he whispered.

Martha stopped her ministrations and pressed a tender kiss to the back of his head. “I love you, Lex. Just as much as I love Clark. I can’t lose either of you. You understand that, don’t you?”

Lex nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He whimpered slightly as he felt her dig into his shoulder. Clark’s balance wavered, but he never let go of Lex’s hand.

“There. Got it.”

He heard a plop and tried to raise his head to see what she had done with the bullet, but encountered Martha’s outstretched hand, which pushed him back down onto the cement.

“Lead paint,” she explained.

Gritting his teeth, he patiently endured the rest of her medical attention.

“I don’t want to stitch the wound until we get out of--”

“Mom,” Clark warned, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lex felt her hands leave his back and heard her cock the muzzle of her automatic.

“Wha--” Before he could say anything more, Clark’s hand covered his mouth. The boy knelt until he was eyelevel with Lex then shook his head slowly.

Swallowing hard, Lex nodded to let them know that he understood the gravity of their situation. The hunters were on the other side of the wall. He kept his gaze glued on Clark’s face and only released his breath when he saw Clark finally relax his stance.

Martha flipped on the safety, then wrapped one arm around Clark’s waist and laid her free hand on Lex’s back.

Clark leaned into his mother’s side. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to find someplace to hole up for a few days while Lex recovers.”

“Any idea where we are going to go?”

“Back to the beginning,” Martha whispered. “Back to the beginning.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After peering into the backseat of the car to make sure that Clark was still asleep, Lex turned to face Martha and tried to ignore the deep itching ache in his shoulder. “Are you sure this is such a good idea?”

“I don’t see that we have much choice,” Martha answered quietly. “If the government is stepping up its efforts to reclaim you and Clark, then we need to have as much information as possible. I don’t know if Clark’s ship will give us the answers or not, but short of breaking into one of the facilities and taking a scientist hostage, I think this is our best option.” Martha took her gaze briefly off the road and reached across the seat and caressed Lex’s cheek. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

Lex leaned into her touch. “I’m doing better. I should be as good as new tomorrow or the day after.”

Martha nodded and dropped her hand, then looked into the rear-view mirror to check on Clark.

“Are you up to this?” Lex asked quietly.

“I don’t know.” Martha kept her eyes on the dimly lit road ahead of them. “It’s been eight years.”

“But you loved him.”

A sad smile graced Martha’s lips, although she made no attempt to face him. “I did, but it wasn’t enough.”

Lex gingerly leaned his back against the passenger door. “Why do you say that?”

Martha took a deep breath and released it slowly as if the words were somehow causing her pain. “When the government took Clark…something inside of Jonathan broke. He simply gave up and accepted things as they were.”

“You don’t think he had anything to do with betraying Clark, do you?”

“No. He loved Clark. I think…I think he was just overwhelmed.”

“You were angry,” Lex said with sudden insight.

Nodding, Martha spared him a quick glance before turning her gaze back to the road. “We were from different worlds. My father was a lawyer in Metropolis, so I knew about fighting the system. Jonathan was a farmer, as was his father and his father before him. All he knew was farming. He didn’t see how we could possibly win.”

“He wasn’t far wrong, was he?”

Lex was startled by how quickly Martha snatched his hand into hers.

“Every day with you boys is a victory and I wouldn’t give a single second of it back.”

“Even at the expense of your marriage?”

Martha brought his hand to her chest. “All I’ve ever wanted was to be a mother; not terribly chic for a Metropolis girl to admit, but it’s true. Do I regret that Jonathan wasn’t a stronger man? Sure. Do I regret the choices I’ve made because of his weakness? Never.”

Squeezing her hand, Lex drew it across the span between them, leaned forward and kissed her knuckles. “We don’t deserve you.”

“Yeah, well. Remember that the next time you whine about having to clean the bathroom.”

Lex chuckled softly as he released her fingers. “When I finally get my money, we are never cleaning another bathroom as long as we live.”

“I hope you’re not expecting me to disagree.”

A huge smile bloomed across his face, making his cheeks hurt. He rested the side of his face on the back of his seat, then checked on Clark again.

“He remarried seven years ago,” Martha said quietly.

The quiet anguish in her voice compelled him to reach across the car again and lay his hand on her shoulder. “Who?”

“An old high school sweetheart of his. Nell Potter. I think he even adopted her niece.”

“What?”

“Long story.”

“We don’t have to do this, you know?”

Martha shook her head. “Don’t worry, honey. It’ll be okay.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Clark, please sit down, sweetheart. You’re making me tired just watching you.”

Lex watched as Martha reached out and snagged the teen’s hand and pulled him down, forcing him to sit on the hotel bed beside her. Clark melted into her side and she automatically put one hand in his hair and began to massage his scalp.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said softly.

“Can we trust him?” Clark’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“I never would have brought you boys here if I didn’t think we could.”

“I’m sorry, mom. I didn’t mean--”

Martha kissed the top of the teen’s head. “Shhh, baby. I know you’re--”

A knock on the door startled them all into silence. Clark raised his head and concentrated on the door, then scanned the parking lot beyond the room’s front wall.

“One man,” he finally said.

Martha nodded once, then stood, taking a moment to straighten her clothes before she opened the door.

“Martha,” a deep voice said simply.

“Hello, Jonathan. Please come in.”

Martha took a step back and waved the blond headed man into the room, then shut the door behind him.

Jonathan Kent took immediately note of both Lex and Clark. “Clark?” he whispered in shock.

The boy stood and faced him fully. “Yes, sir.”

Jonathan turned back toward Martha. “You found him?”

Moving past him, Martha stepped between Lex and Clark and took their hands in hers. “I didn’t find them, they found me.”

A look of profound sadness swept across the older man’s face and Lex couldn’t help but think that Martha’s words had some deeper meaning, but what the phrase meant he couldn’t even begin to guess. Jonathan closed his eyes as if seeking strength then opened them and stared curiously at Lex.

“This is my other son, Alexander.” Martha squeezed Lex’s hand. “How are Nell and Lana?”

Jonathan swallowed hard. “They’re good. They’re in Metropolis today, shopping. Lana has a dance recital this weekend.”

Lex wondered if he should suggest that he and Clark leave; there was so much undercurrent between the two older adults, explanations and apologies flew unspoken yet understood between the two of them.

Jonathan was the first one to break the silence. “It’s not safe for you here.”

“I know. We won’t be staying long.”

“Why did you come back, Martha?”

“We need you to take us to Clark’s ship.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“What is this place?” Martha’s question bounced and echoed off the walls surrounding them as they followed Jonathan deeper into the underground tunnel.

The beam of Lex’s flashlight danced over the walls as he stepped into the large cavern. Simple black and white paintings decorated almost every square foot of the wall space. “These look like they might be American Indian,” he said in quiet wonder. He had to physically clench his hands in order to resist the urge to inspect the drawings more closely. They were here because of Clark, not to satisfy his scientific curiosity.

Jonathan turned and faced them. “I think the cave may have belonged to a local tribe called the Kawatchi.”

Clark stood directly behind Lex and pressed his chest to Lex’s back, seeking comfort. Without thought, Lex pulled Clark to his side and kept his arm on the teen’s arm.

“It’s over here.” Jonathan movements were jerky as he moved toward a huge mound of leaves.

Lex, Martha and Clark followed at a slower pace, each trying to take in the pictures on the wall as they moved.

Clark stopped and pointed to a picture near the ceiling. “Is that a drawing of a spaceship?”

“It certainly looks like it,” Lex answered.

“That could mean I wasn’t the first of my kind to come here.” Clark’s voice reverberated with suppressed excitement.

“Boys.” Martha waved them over to where she and Jonathan were standing.

Lex’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the small craft. He turned to face Clark and was surprised by how pale the teen looked. “There’s no possible way you were ever small enough to fit inside that craft.”

A startled snicker escaped Clark and he bumped Lex’s shoulder with his own. He sobered quickly. “It was one thing for mom to tell us about the ship, but…”

“To actually see it. I know.”

“I really am an alien.”

“Well, you’re a teenager, so that’s a given.”

“No, I mean, I really am different.”

Lex released a dramatic sigh. “Oh, I can just see it now. ‘I can’t take out the trash because we don’t process refuse from where I come’ or ‘I need seconds because Andorians have two stomachs’.”

Several emotions passed quickly over Clark’s face until he finally settled on amusement. “Would that work?”

“No,” Lex and Martha said together.

Lex was surprised to see a small smile cross Jonathan’s face.

Clark knelt in front of the small spacecraft and ran his hands over its surface. “Where do you think it came from?”

“We never knew,” Martha answered quietly.

After several minutes of study, Clark found an indentation in the skin of the ship. Lex watched as the teen traced the edges, then looked up at Martha. “How do we open it up?”

Before Martha could speak, Jonathan held out the octagonal metal disk.

“Jonathan?” Martha asked in shock.

“Lionel Luthor had a hundred men comb through the field where the ship landed. Apparently, he found an old crop duster who saw the ship come down. One of Lana’s friends caught wind of the story and reported Luthor’s activity in the school paper. Lionel later claimed she made the whole thing up. And what could the authorities do anyway? The man was scouring his own property. All I know is that we had a tornado about three years back and I found the disk in our south cow pasture.”

“Have you tried to open the ship?” Clark asked.

“No.”

“Why not?” Lex asked in shock.

Jonathan frowned at him. “It wasn’t my place.” The older man knelt next to Clark and placed the disk in the teen’s hand. “Go on, son. While I never opened it, I can’t say I haven’t been curious about what was inside.”

Clark hesitantly accepted the key, like he was expecting it to burn his skin. For a moment, he did nothing but stare at the metal disk. Swallowing hard, he finally ran his index finger over its smooth surface. He turned slightly, his eyes frightened. “Lex?”

Lex moved closer and braced his legs against Clark’s back. “Come on, brat, the suspense is killing me.” He placed both of his hands on Clark’s shoulders and gave him a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Jonathan frowned at them again, but Lex ignored the older man.

Leaning forward, Clark reached out to place the disk in the slot, but before he could accomplish his task it flew out of his hands. Lex immediately pulled the teen back several feet and watched, stunned, as the disk twisted in the air, then plopped into the indentation.

Several loud clicks reverberated around the cave. No one dared to move for fear of missing what happened next. Finally, the hard canopy seemed to fold in on itself and disappear. When it became apparent that the ship wasn’t going to do anything else, they all crowded forward and peered inside the ship, trying to decipher the large white symbols that swirled along the walls of the dark interior.

“Are those letters?” Clark whispered.

“This is going to be incredibly anticlimactic if we can’t read what it says,” Lex said softly.

“What about the metal plate mom has?” Even as he spoke, Clark turned and faced his mother, who was already digging into her backpack.

“Here.” Martha pressed the cloth encased metal into Clark’s hands.

Lex watched as Clark reverently unwrapped the thin bar. “I don’t know if this is a good idea,” he whispered nervously.

“Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me that ignorance is for the timid?”

“I really hate when you quote me back to me.”

Clark grinned at him. “Here goes nothing.”

He found a slot on the interior of the ship and pushed the metal bar into it. A large beam of light pierced Clark like a fish caught on a line. Clark cried out as he staggered back several feet, unable to escape the energy beam surging through him. Lex watched in horror as the beam lifted Clark off the dirt floor of the cave.

“Clark!” Lex scrambled toward the suspended boy.

“Lex, no!” Martha tried to grab his arm, but Lex was too fast for her.

As Lex grabbed Clark’s foot a portion of the beam splintered away from Clark and sliced through him as well. Lex felt all the air leave his lungs as he was jerked into the air like a rag doll. Pain like he had never experienced flowed through him. As his consciousness was pulled into darkness he was aware of thousands of voices, all talking at once; and a small part of him worried because he thought he might actually understand what they were saying.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“You can’t leave me, Lex. You just can’t.”

The words while mournful were almost lyrical in their cadence, like a quietly sung prayer for sun on a foggy morning. They echoed at him from a distance, but he could still hear the worry reverberating in Clark’s voice.

Why was Clark so distraught?

Cold, harsh memories crashed over him in a wave and for a moment the breath was stolen from his lungs as his body remembered the pain that had all but ripped him in half.

The beam.

Clark.

“Lex, open your eyes.”

If the teen’s voice was any indication, he didn’t currently seem to be in any pain. That was good.

He wanted to snuggle back down into the warm darkness that enveloped him, but Clark’s voice kept needling him, refusing to let him sleep.

“Damn it, Lex. If you don’t open your fucking eyes this instant, I’m not going to be responsible for my actions.”

Lex could feel himself frown. Not only was Clark threatening him, but he was using profanities as well. If Mom heard him, she was going to wash Clark’s mouth out with soap and then Lex was going to catch hell for teaching Clark the word in the first place.

“Vulgarity…is for the…ignorant masses, Clark,” he whispered.

An undignified squeak was squeezed from his body as the teen wrapped his arms around Lex’s back and chest.

“God, Lex, I thought I'd lost you.”

When he was laid back onto the soft bed, Lex blinked his eyes open and noticed the tears running down the boy’s checks.

“Hey.” Reaching up, he tenderly wiped Clark's face. “It’s going to take more than an alien death ray to get rid of me.”

“That’s not fucking funny.”

“If you keep using such crass language, you’re going to get us both in trouble.” Lex frowned again. “Where’s mom anyway?”

A warm hand caressed his forehead and the top of his head. Turning his head to the left, he made out Martha’s pale, frightened face. “I’m all right, mom. Really.”

Martha spoke softly to him, but he couldn’t make out the words.

“What…what’s she saying? I…I don’t understand.”

“She’s speaking Terran English,” Clark supplied.

Lex looked at him in confusion. “And what are we speaking?”

“I don’t know,” Clark admitted. “Whatever the ship downloaded into us.”

“Downloaded?” Lex tried to push himself onto his elbows, but found he didn’t have the strength to maintain the position. He collapsed against the mattress with a grunt. He tried to move again, but found both Clark and Martha’s hands on his chest. “Where are we?”

“At Jonathan’s house,” Clark explained. “You’ve been unconscious for almost three days.”

“Three…we need to get out of here.”

“Lex, we’re safe.” Clark pinned Lex’s shoulders to the mattress. “We’re safe.”

“Don’t you understand, Clark? We’re never safe. Until we get the money, until we expose what happened to us, we’ll never truly be safe.”

Martha shushed him and petted his chest, crooning softly.

“Why can’t we understand her?”

Clark’s gaze darted away, nervously.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Lex demanded.

Swallowing hard, Clark looked at Martha for support before he gazed down at Lex. “I can understand her.”

“You can…why…I…”

Even though he couldn’t make out a word she was saying, Martha spoke to him at great length, her eyes never leaving Lex’s face.

“Mom thinks the beam probably overloaded your circuits.” Clark gave him a small sad grin. “She thinks my parents designed the beam as a way to teach me my language. If that’s true, then it wasn’t meant for humans. Mom thinks if it wasn’t for your healing factor you’d probably be dead or a vegetable right now.”

“Well that’s hardly reassuring.”

Lex looked at Martha as Clark translated the comment. Martha smiled gently at him, although he could still see the strain of worry in her eyes when she spoke again.

“She says she's pretty sure that you’ll be okay soon. It’s just taking you a little bit of time to assimilate the information.”

"Well, now I understand why you felt so safe swearing." Lex brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his palms over his eyes. “So all it did was download your language? It didn’t tell us anything about where you came from or why you were sent here?”

“Not yet. I think the information is probably stored in the ship somewhere and that the beam was just the first step of my education.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’d rather play hookey during the other lessons.”

“Afraid you can’t keep up?”

“Bite me, Clark.”

Lex didn’t need to understand Martha’s words to know that she was scolding both of them. Her tone and Clark’s blush told him everything he needed to know.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Lex likened breakfast the next morning to watching a foreign film with no subtitles. He still couldn’t understand the conversations buzzing around him, but he amused himself by trying to guess the content by observing everyone’s body language and vocal tones.

Jonathan’s daughter, Lana, if he remembered correctly, was helping her mother make breakfast and sneaking furtive glances at Clark whenever she thought the boy wasn’t looking her way. She was beautiful in a rather exotic way, which seemed so out of place in the cream corn capital of Kansas. She was just the type of girl he could see attracting Clark’s attention.

Martha was trying to keep her fidgeting hands under the table. Lex knew she wanted to help, but if Nell’s stiff movements were any indication, her help wouldn’t be appreciated or welcomed.

Jonathan appeared to be going out of his way to include Martha in conversation. While Lex knew Jonathan was only trying to be kind, he could also see Nell’s growing irritation.

The longer Lex watched the woman of the house, the more he realized that Nell was more nervous than irritated. She seemed to jump at every sound coming from outside the house, but seemed to be physically restraining herself from turning to investigate. She was acting as if she was expecting someone, but didn’t want anyone else to know.

Lex had no sooner formed the thought than he heard a car door slam rather loudly. Everyone in the kitchen froze. Martha and Jonathan both paled, although Lana seemed oblivious. Pushing himself away from the table, Lex moved slowly toward the door and spotted over a dozen black cars parked outside. He could only guess that there were more out front. Before he could call out a warning, Lionel emerged from one of the cars, looked toward the house and smiled victoriously.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

With a dispassionate eye, Lex turned and took in the chaos behind him. Jonathan had grabbed his wife by the upper arms and was shaking her, his voice breaking with grief. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was asking, but since her answers wouldn’t change their predicament, Lex allowed his gaze to roll over them.

Clark’s pale face sought his and the teen nodded once, confirming Lex’s suspicions that they were indeed surrounded.

Martha wrapped her arms around Lana’s shoulders and guided her toward the stairs, no doubt suggesting that the girl find a safe place to hide. However, Lex knew that should his father win this confrontation there would be no way to keep the girl safe from harm. Lana was a potential witness and Lionel would deal with her in his own way, despite his alliance with Nell.

Pulling an automatic out of the back of her jeans, Martha flipped off the safety and pulled back the barrel; his assessment of the situation confirmed in the tightness around her eyes.

An ember of anger flared deep within Lex as he watched his father instruct his troops. Lionel was the epitome of confidence.

Lex had spent the last four years studying the man who had sired him. And while he was disgusted by his father’s avarice, he couldn’t help but be awed by the fact that the man was untouchable. Lionel had never lost a battle he had joined. Various government branches and numerous law officials had tried for years to pin something on the senior Luthor, but Lionel was an expert at cleaning up after himself. No one had ever been able to prove a single dirty dealing.

Was it any wonder that the boogiemen who haunted his nightmares wore his father’s features?

Many people considered Lionel the devil. Unfortunately, it was a title his father apparently enjoyed. If Lionel could see Clark, frightened, yet wrapping his arms around his mother as if trying to protect her, he would no doubt mock the boy for being emotionally weak; but what Lionel had no doubt forgotten in the intervening years was that blood would always tell. And no matter how much he raged against the injustice of it all, Lex was still a Luthor.

Lex raised his face and met Clark’s beautiful green eyes. “Blessings, heart of my heart.”

With that, he pushed open the screen door and strode out into the yard, ignoring Martha as she called after him.

Lionel looked surprised as he watched Lex move toward him. After a brief moment of uncertainty, he opened his arms and gave Lex a greeting so false that a sycophant standing behind his father actually winced.

Lex stopped several yards short of a reunion. “Take your men and leave, father.”

Lionel hesitated and dropped his arms, confusion evident on his face, but he quickly rallied. Lex almost laughed at the nonsensical words that were tossed in his direction. He might not understand their meaning, but he’d have to be deaf to miss the condescension.

He caught a movement to his left in his peripheral vision and turned to find one of his father’s men moving slowly toward him. Without conscious thought, Lex pushed his left hand away from his body and flung the man back beyond the cars with a beam of white energy.

Hearing a gun cock, he raised his right arm and released another bolt of energy. A scream let him know that he had hit his intended target, but he didn’t bother turning to confirm that the man was down.

Wearing the same smile Lionel had upon his arrival, Lex unleashed his fury on the men around him, eventually cognizant of Clark’s fleet form moving between the hired force, removing their weapons and pulling as many as he could to safety.

Vehicles exploded around him and yet he never took his gaze off his father. Lionel apparently decided that a retreat might be in order, but Lex blasted the limousine’s door, which shot forward and knocked Lionel to the ground. Lex watched passively as his father scrambled backward on his hands, no doubt ruining the thousand-dollar suit he was wearing.

“How does it feel to be hunted, father? Not knowing what my intentions are or how far I’m willing to take the chase?

Lionel’s arm gave out and he fell onto his back in wide-eyed panic. Lex moved forward and stepped on Lionel’s chest, taking a moment to wipe the bottom of his shoe on his father’s shirt. He sneered as his father cried out for mercy.

“Luthors don’t believe in mercy, father; and I am my father’s son after all.”

He raised his hand to unleash his anger and was surprised to find his arm knocked skyward. Without thought, he struck his attacker and was surprised to hear a female grunt of pain. Without lifting his foot off Lionel, Lex turned and found Martha picking herself off the ground. Horror radiated through him, but when Lionel babbled incoherently at him, he ground his foot harder into the older man’s chest.

“Lex,” Martha entreated softly. She took a step toward him, but he waved his hand in a cutting motion, trying to keep her away.

“No.”

“Lex,” she repeated. Even though her voice still pleaded with him, her tone was firmer.

“No, Mama,” he whispered, even though he knew she didn’t understand. “It ends now.”

She ignored his earlier warning and stepped closer. He tried to move his face out of her reach, but her hands cupped and caressed his cheeks with gentle hands. She spoke softly to him and he knew she was telling him that killing his father wasn’t the answer.

Lex waved a hand at the supine figure. “You know he’ll never leave us alone. I have to--”

He couldn’t bear to see the compassion on her face as she shook her head at him, so he closed his eyes -- only to open them a second later when she slapped him hard enough to make his cheek sting.

She spoke at length, then ran her hand down his arm and encircled his wrist with her fingers. Martha pulled him downward until they were kneeling on either side of his father. Her tone turned harsh as she spoke directly to Lionel. When she flashed him a quick glance, he shot a small burst of energy into Lionel’s abdomen.

His father cried out, but Martha’s voice overrode him. She spoke for several moments, then snapped her fingers. Clark appeared over them, looking as menacing as Lex had ever seen the boy.

Whatever Martha said must have convinced Lionel of her intent because he started nodding furiously and crab walking out of their reach. Lex knew better than to trust his father’s word and stood to stop him, but Clark stepped in his way.

“Let him go, Lex.”

“He’ll just come back.”

“No he won’t. Mom did a pretty good job of scaring the crap out of him.”

Lex tried to move past him. “You don’t understand--”

“I do understand, Lex. I heard what you told him.” Clark held Lex by his upper arms. “You’re nothing like him. Nothing.”

“How can you say that? I’m a Luthor. His tainted blood runs through me.”

Clark turned him so that they could watch Lionel scramble to his feet and all but crawl into the back of his vehicle. “He’s nothing but a shell. He might have some power, but he has no one to share it with. He has no one who cares about him.” Clark turned Lex back to face him. “But you have us, Lex. You have me.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Over the years, Lex had grown accustomed to waking up in various locations, but in all their years on the run, he couldn’t recall having ever woken up in such luxurious accommodations. He rubbed his eyes, then blinked, trying to remember how he had come to be in such posh room, but to no avail. The last thing he remembered was watching his father’s limousine limp away from the Kent farm.

The bedroom door snicked open and a quiet voice greeted him. “Are you awake yet, sleepyhead?”

“Mom?” Lex raised himself up onto his elbows and felt a smile break over his face. “Say something else.”

“Something else.” Martha’s smile was radiant as she quickly closed the gap between them and sat on the mattress beside him. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and simply held him. “You understand me.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he teased drolly. “Hey. Ow. Ow. Ow.” Pulling himself back into a seated position by the headboard, he tried to escape her fingers as Martha poked him in the ribs several times.

“You had me worried, buster.” Martha laid a hand on his thigh and gently squeezed his leg.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t be. I’m just so glad we can talk again.” Then she added with a sly smile. “You know how I hate to be left out.”

He opened his mouth to apologize again, but she pressed her fingers to his lips and shook her head. “Do you remember any of the language the ship downloaded?”

Lex briefly closed his eyes. “I believe so.”

“Was that a yes?”

“Yes.” Lex nodded when he realized he had answered in the alien tongue. “Speaking of the ship...”

“We decided to leave it in the cave.”

“Is that wise?”

“For the moment.” Martha shrugged then sighed. “I don’t think we can risk anymore unexpected energy beams, especially in populated areas. Besides, it’s not going anywhere. Jonathan will watch over it until Clark is physically and emotionally ready to face the answers the ship might give to him.”

“Can we trust him?”

“Jonathan, yes. Nell, no. Jonathan told me he’s never told Nell about Clark being an alien or about the caves.”

“How did he explain my being unconscious for three days or talking in a foreign language?”

She grinned rather flippantly at him. “He told her that you had been in an accident and had reverted back to your native tongue.”

“But she knew who I was.”

“At the moment, she’s not really in a position to compare sins, now is she?”

Lex shrugged and conceded the point. He didn’t trust Jonathan Kent to protect Clark’s secret, but he did trust Martha, who trusted him, so he supposed that would have to be enough. For now. “Where are we now?”

“We’re at my father’s house in Metropolis.”

“Your father?”

She nodded. “He’s an attorney. If you’re going to claim your mother’s money, I figured we needed to move fast, while Lionel is still licking his wounds.”

“He may be down, but I don’t believe for a second that he’s out. I don’t trust him to keep his word.”

“And you shouldn’t, which is why we’re hoping to implement everything either today or tomorrow.” She reached out and cupped his cheek. “But enough of all this serious talk. How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Like I could eat a horse.”

She slapped both of her hands onto her thighs and pushed herself off the mattress. “Well, lucky for you, I just bought a horse. Let me go see if I can catch him.”

Lex grinned at the old family joke, but sobered quickly. He leaned forward and caught her hand again. “Mama, you know I’d never purposefully...”

“Sh, baby.” She leaned over and pressed her lips to the top of his head. “It never happened.”

“Mom--”

“It. Never. Happened. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now go take a shower and come downstairs when you’re dressed. We need to make some plans.”

And with that, she was gone.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Do you know what the English translation of heart of my heart is?” The question was asked the moment Lex opened the bathroom door. Steam from his shower billowed into the bedroom from behind him as focused on the teen sitting on the edge of his bed.

“I have a good idea. Yes.” Lex walked around the bed and began pulling items out of his duffle bag.

Clark turned on the bed to face him. “It means soul mate.”

“I know.”

“So what did you mean by it?”

Lex tossed his shirt onto the bed, straightened, then gave Clark his full attention. “Just what do you want me to say, Clark?”

The teen swallowed hard and dropped his gaze. Lex took the opportunity to move back into the bathroom to dress.

He had been hoping to avoid this conversation. The feelings that had been churning within him were too new, too raw, and he didn’t have a clue what to do about them. He felt like he was drifting at sea; directionless, with no sign of shore on the horizon.

Once he had his pants on, he took a moment to study his reflection in the mirror. Despite the freckles that peppered his nose, he couldn’t help but think that he looked a lot older than any twenty-year-old he knew.

He heard a noise behind him, but instead of turning he shifted his glance in the mirror.

Clark boldly met his gaze in the mirror. “You know, we’re not really brothers.”

“Ouch.”

“Lex.” Clark’s voice pleaded for understanding.

Lex waved off Clark’s unspoken apology. “I know.”

“So?”

“So, you’re fourteen.”

“I’m taller than you.”

“And stronger and faster. What’s your point?”

“I know what I want.”

Lex loaded his toothbrush and busied himself with the task. “Good for you,” he said around the brush.

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Because you’re fourteen, Clark.” Lex spit, then rinsed his mouth out with water.

“You think I’m going to change my mind, don’t you?”

Shrugging, Lex wiped his mouth on a washcloth.

“I claimed you.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“It means the world to me.”

Clark stepped forward but stopped when Lex stiffened.

“But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re still fourteen,” Lex whispered.

“Is that going to be your answer to everything now?”

Lex turned and looked the boy in the eye. “Yes.”

“For how long?”

“For how long what?”

“How long is that going to be your answer?”

Pushing past the teen, Lex moved back into the bedroom and started to pull on his shirt. “Until you graduate college.”

“No way.”

“Way.”

“I’m not going to change my mind.”

Busying himself with his buttons, Lex didn’t bother to look at Clark. “I didn’t say you were.”

“I believe you,” Clark said sarcastically.

Lex huffed in amusement. “No you don’t.”

“So sue me.”

“I just might.”

They grinned goofily at each other for a moment.

Clark sighed. “I can wait.”

“I was fairly confident you could.” Lex started toward the door.

Following him, Clark leaned past Lex and put his weight against the door, keeping Lex from opening it. “I’m not relinquishing my claim.”

“Okay.”

“And I’m not letting anyone else stake a claim on you either.”

Lex rolled his gaze heavenward. “Right, because people are just banging down my door right and left.”

Straightening, Clark stepped away from the door. “Be prepared, Lex. Aliens take claiming very seriously.”

“Fine, as long as it’s not a fourteen year old alien.”

“When are you going to let that go?”

“When you’re twenty-two.”

“Have I mentioned that you’re cute when you’re stubborn?”

Lex opened the bedroom door and pushed Clark through it. “Oh shut up and feed me, alien boy.”

 

~ The End ~


End file.
